St. Louis Rams – 2009 Preview
2008 Record: 2-14
Head Coach: Steve Spagnuolo
After winning only 3 games in 2007, you would have thought that it couldn’t get any worse…Wrong. In 2008 the St. Louis Rams scored in the bottom 3 for points scored and points allowed, winning only two of their games. Head Coach Scott Linehan was fired after starting the season 0-4. Interim Coach Jim Haslett took over for the duration of the season, but clearly couldn’t do enough to keep the job.
This year, Steve Spagnuolo (former Giants defensive coordinator) takes over as head coach. He was responsible for turning the Giants’ defensive squad into one of the best in the league. With the Rams’ defense being one of the worst in the NFL last year, they will surely benefit from Spagnuolo’s presence this year. Lately, improvement of the O-line has been a major focus for St. Louis. Last year they allowed 45 sacks. Former Baltimore Center Jason Brown (one of the best in the NFL), and #2 draft pick Jason Smith (who has great size and pass blocking ability), will be joining the line in 2009.
Bottom line: Even though some offensive line issues have been addressed, QB Marc Bulger will need to step it up a notch this year. To win some games, they’ll need to be able to make some big plays through the air.
The St. Louis Rams started off their preseason with a win against the New York Jets at Giants Stadium on Friday, August 14th. The final score was 23-20. On Friday August 21st they play Atlanta at home, 8:00 PM ET. They then play at Cincinnati on August 27th, and against Kansas City at home on September 3rd – ten days before their regular season begins.
Regular Season Schedule:
1 Sunday, September 13 @ Seattle 4:15 PM
2 Sunday, September 20 @ Washington 1:00 PM
3 Sunday, September 27 vs. Green Bay 1:00 PM
4 Sunday, October 4 @ San Francisco 4:15 PM
5 Sunday, October 11 vs. Minnesota 1:00 PM
6 Sunday, October 18 @ Jacksonville 1:00 PM
7 Sunday, October 25 vs. Indianapolis 1:00 PM
8 Sunday, November 1 @ Detroit 1:00 PM
9 BYE
10 Sunday, November 15 vs. New Orleans 1:00 PM
11 Sunday, November 22 vs. Arizona 4:05 PM
12 Sunday, November 29 vs. Seattle 1:00 PM
13 Sunday, December 6 @ Chicago 1:00 PM
14 Sunday, December 13 @ Tennessee 1:00 PM
15 Sunday, December 20 vs. Houston 1:00 PM
16 Sunday, December 27 @ Arizona 4:05 PM
17 Sunday, January 3 vs. San Francisco 1:00 PM
Prediction: Even if only slight adjustments are made to the many concerns on offense and defense, the Rams will do better in 2009.
Record: 5-11
Odds that the Rams win the Super Bowl in 2010 are 80-1 (according to Sportsbook.com) |
