St. Louis Rams

According to league sources, that interview took place Monday in Los Angeles.

It's looking as if LaDainian Tomlinson might have to sit out San Diego's playoff game Sunday at Pittsburgh. The star running back isn't sure whether a week's worth of treatment and rest will be enough to allow him to play.

PITTSBURGH €” The Steelers are girding for a rematch Sunday with San Diego of what was one of the stranger games of the season, and it looks as if Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will play.

Former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel is among the candidates the St. Louis Rams could interview for their head coaching vacancy this week.

St. Louis Rams president John Shaw has resigned and Billy Devaney has been promoted to general manager.

St. Louis Rams president of football operations Jay Zygmunt resigned Monday in the fallout from another terrible season.

Well it is about time to go shopping. There is Black Friday, the day after Christmas, New Years Sales, and then there is the 2009 NFL Free Agent Period. Below you will see the 2009 NFL free agent lists by team. This list is sorted by Ranking and provided by Scout.com. Until the St. Louis [...]

Every week I will make my NFL GameDay predictions. We would love it if you share your opinions, or your own predictions in the comment area of our Fan-Sided forum area. All picks will be straight-up, not against the spread. Last week was our best week of the year going 14-2. We are doing pretty [...]

The 2009 NFL Draft Order has been set for all of the teams that missed the 2008 NFL Playoffs. The St. Louis Rams locked up the #2 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. First the Rams will need to hire a new head coach, evaluate current players and decide which of their free agents they [...]

Although the St. Louis Rams finished out their 2008 season with a 31-27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, much can be taken away from this final contest.

 

- Rams cornerback Ron Bartell made a play that every football coach at any level references at least once a season.  On what looked like a sure touchdown run for stud Falcons running back Michael Turner, Bartell did not give up on the play and managed to track down the back at the two yard line, strip the ball, and recover the fumble!  While the validity of the fumble call was questionable, the amount of effort and desire that Bartell exhibited can never be doubted.  Bartell has proven himself to be a valuable piece of this franchise and hopefully the Rams are able to hold on to him for a long time.

 

- Oft criticized running back Steven Jackson played a game that reminds us all what a thrilling player he has the ability to be.  His stat line for the day was pretty impressive: 30 rushes for 161 yards and two touchdowns, not to mention four receptions for 54 yards.  However, Jackson's most stellar moment came in the fourth quarter as he caught a flare pass out of the backfield with one hand and proceeded to jump-hurdle himself over a defender who was nearly standing upright!  Fans and writers alike often forget the mindblowing athleticism of a player like Steven Jackson, but for a man who stands 6'2" tall and weighs 235 pounds to in essence, toss himself over another grown man as said man attempts to tackle him is truly amazing.  Jackson just played Sunday's game with a sense of urgency largely unseen this season.

 

- Sunday's contest might have been the last time Rams fans see interim coach Jim Haslett on the sidelines, but apparently most of the Rams themselves do not wish this to be the case.  Several players stated openly that they were playing for Haslett's job.  An anonymous player on the team even divulged the fact that many of the players on the team signed a petition to give to the front office in order that Haslett might be retained as coach.  Such fantastic outpourings of affection for ones coach are few and far between in the NFL and while the team still did not win this final game, I could argue that it was their best this season (they beat the Cowboys soundly, but Dallas appeared lethargic and unprepared for their game against the Rams while the Falcons were playing for a higher playoff seeding and were focused throughout, yet the Rams only lost by four.)

 

The season is finished.  2-14 record; worst ever in franchise history (since a 16 game schedule was introduced).  Ten game losing streak to close the season; opponents scored slightly more than twice as many points as the Rams did this season, 465 against, 232 for.  Both of these tallies rank only in front of the winless Detroit Lions and have secured the Rams the 2^nd pick in the NFL draft this coming spring.  Those are the facts.  This year is over and the Rams would be best to put it behind them as soon as possible (other than to use it as motivation to prepare for the 2009 season) so as to avoid a hangover into next season.

 

The Rams have a new GM in Billy Devaney who clearly has some crucial decisions to make in the coming weeks, namely who the head coach of this team will be.  Haslett looks to be the favorite amongst players, even though he presided over the ten game losing streak.  But he was certainly a motivating factor in the wins over the Redskins and Cowboys and he also seemed to provide a spark in the close losses to the Patriots and this past week against the Falcons.  If Haslett does get the job, one can only hope that his motivational abilities will translate into victories, not just great hustle plays and a couple big performances.  If Haslett is not the answer, there are several very appealing choices lingering.  The freshly fired Mike Shanahan and Eric Mangini are appealing options as is the head coach-turned announcer who seems to be interested in coaching again, Bill Cowher.  The allure of hiring draft-free agent-team-turn-around-football-guru Bill Parcells must also be high seeing as the Rams player personnel selections have been poor at best in the past five to seven years, which is a huge part of the reason why this franchise has won five games in the past two seasons.

 

No matter what direction Devaney chooses to go in, this will certainly be an interesting off season; and I for one, cannot wait.

In a lot of ways, the 2008 St. Louis Rams season has been the most depressing sporting experience of my life.  That is saying a lot considering the fact that my college football team (which I played on for two seasons) was 9-31 during my four years and I passionately followed my girlfriend's basketball team which rounded out our collegiate experience with a 36-74 record.

 

The struggles of this team have been excruciatingly well documented, but in case you missed anything, here's a quick rundown of the season thusfar.  The Rams lose their first four of the season, all in blowout fashion; getting outscored 147-43.  The team takes its bye week and promptly fires head coach Scott Linehan; hard-ass-Jim-Haslett takes the reins and leads the team to victories over the Redskins and Cowboys, even getting into a shoving match with a Redskins defensive back.  Since then, the Rams have slid into an oblivion that is unfathomable for pretty much any NFL franchise, excluding the Detroit Lions, nine losses in a row.  None of these losses hurt as much as the last game, a 16-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.  The Rams were winning this game at home, and managed to belch and stumble their way to giving the visitors 14 point in less than three minutes.  And did I mention that those three minutes were in the last four minutes of the game? Yeah.  Just when the Rams had St. Louis excited about the prospect of a 4-12 season, we now sit at 2-13 with the playoff-contending Atlanta Falcons welcoming the team to the Georgia Dome on Sunday.

 

Prick up your ears weary St. Louisans, there is hope.  For starters, this is the NFL; and proving the old adage true, evidenced by the two Rams wins this season (one of which was something of a blowout over the World-Beater Dallas Cowboys), on any given Sunday, any team can win.  Although a win would not mean too much in a practical sense, it would certainly be a nice way to end the season, not to mention avoiding the worst record in franchise history since the inception of a 16 game season.  Secondly, while this bit of news will not affect the action on the field this weekend, it certainly will for years to come; both the President and President of Football Operations for the St. Louis Rams resigned earlier this week.  The two men, John Shaw and Jay Zygmut, that have been most roundly critiqued for poor personnel decisions that led this team to the gutter that it is trying to crawl out of are gone.  I'm not sure if the significance of the potential that starting over with the front office positions will fully be appreciated for several years, but this was certainly a step that needed to be taken.

 

Back to the focus on the final game of this miserable 2008 season; the Rams DO have some things to play for.

 

They could knock the Falcons out the playoff hunt.  Rather mean spirited as a team goal, but if THAT gets our players motivated, then so be it.

 

Something I have been calling on these Rams to tap into all season long, some sense of pride.  Does anyone on this roster really care that this team is such an embarrassment?  Receiver Donnie Avery played with bucketloads of heart this past week's game and many members of the defense like OJ Atogwe and Ron Bartell have quietly been some of the greatest contributors to this team, but because the entire squad has played so poorly these standouts have not gotten the credit they deserve.  Can some of the veterans on this team step up and lay it all on the line?  Torry Holt, you were one of the greatest wideouts in this league just a couple seasons ago, that will and fire can't be gone, tap into it.  Orlando Pace, you were one of, if not the greatest left tackle of this generation, dig deep into your mammoth core and summon up a great game, protect your quarterback as if your life depended upon his safety.  Marc Bulger, you have shown the ability to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league!  I know you have been knocked around and your weapons aren't as great as they use to be, but that's only a third of the quarterback position, the other two thirds is all mental.  Will your team to a victory, lead them again.  Steven Jackson.  Trust me, I understand that a running back is often only as good as his offensive line and clearly yours has been in decline for years, but at the same time, you don't punish defenders the way that you could; maybe you are still suffering effects from your recent string of injuries, but a running back should be one of the toughest players on a team and a mountain of man like yourself should relish the opportunity to smash defenders.  Jim Haslett, your fire, and there really is no better term to describe your passion for the game, inspired this team and ostensibly rubbed off on your players... for two or three weeks.  Bring that back!  Don't worry about your job now, you can't control that situation, all you can focus on is getting your players prepared to play and win their final game of the 2008 season.

 

The Saint Louis Rams have just one more chance to show this city and the rest of the league who they are. Let's hope they can take it.

For my game summary this week, I am trying a new format (for me, not new to the world); the "running commentary."  I watched yesterday's Rams/ 49ers game with my friend Ben, wrote out all my observations and comments as we took in the action live.  This is my attempt to make it all into a coherent column.

 

 

 

Thank you St. Louis Rams fans!

 

Because today's game was blacked out in Saint Louis my buddy Ben and I decided to head downtown in an attempt to buy scalped tickets outside of the Edward Jones Dome.  As we walked several blocks in the frigid afternoon air, probably about seven to eight degrees around noon, we feared that the bitter cold would keep the sellers at home to just cut their losses, but surely enough, we made eye contact with a man holding up two tickets from across the street.  We managed to get $88 tickets for just 30 bucks each, so the afternoon got off to a great start.  So I am writing this from our seats inside the climate controlled dome in section 110.  Ben is reminding me to mention the particularly leggy woman wearing a remarkably short skirt we saw as we walked to the dome from his car.  There it was.

 

We are about ten minutes before kickoff and the best two Rams trot out onto the field;   Kicker Josh Brown and punter Donnie Avery.  They look even less physically impressive in person, but they have certainly been the most consistent and competent Rams all season.  That's how bad the Rams are and have been, then again, special teams is a third of the game, right?

 

The Rams win the toss and elect to receive the kickoff the start the game.  My prediction, Rams 35- 49ers 21; and Ben's, "20-17 Rams, a thriller.  In Overtime."

 

-14:53 1^st Quarter: On the first play after the kickoff Rams quarterback Marc Bulger gets walloped as he releases the pass and is nearly picked off.  A collective, "here we go again" vibe slathers the crowd.

 

-13:40 1^st Quarter: Rams dodge a bullet after a Bulger interception is negated by an offsides penalty on the 49ers prior the snap.

 

- Rams running back Steven Jackson is receiving a steady dosage of carries early on, which is theoretically a good thing since he is meant to be one of, it not our best players.  But I just noticed something.  When Jackson is introduced before home games, he is the last one out of the tunnel and he waits for everyone else to fully matriculate through the high-five line because he bolts through his teammates like a bat out of hell!  Should I be concerned that our star running back demonstrates the greatest explosiveness after he is introduced, not, I don't know, when he's actually running plays for this team on the field?  Just saying...

 

-10:07 1^st Quarter: Rams fizzle. Donnie Jones punts.

 

-9:58 1^st Quarter: 49ers begin their first drive; as former Ram great Issac Bruce is acknowledged over the PA, he receives the loudest cheers of the day.

 

-8:36 1^st Quarter: Rams defense shuts down the 49ers offense and nearly pick off a pass, forcing a punt.

 

- 6:30 1^st Quarter: Much to the delight of Rams fans, Jim Haslett elects to attempt a conversion on 4^th and 1 from the San Fran 45.  They get it on a rush from Jackson.

 

-5:28 1^st Quarter: Rams backup running back Kenneth Darby gets embarrassed as he catches a pass out of the backfield and collides with the referee in the middle of the field.  Both men try to soften the blow, but somehow Darby ends up being the one laid flat on his back.  Pretty hilarious, and Darby will undoubtedly hear about that one for weeks to come.  On the following play Darby again catches a short pass, but this time uber-linebacker Patrick Willis knocks the running back off his feet as he wraps up a perfect tackle.  Bulger attempts a pass into double coverage on the following play, which was another 4^th down the team attempted to convert.  The ball fluttered harmlessly to the turf, 49ers ball on their own 37 with 4:21 to play in the quarter.

 

-2:43 1^st Quarter: As the 49ers drive, Issac Bruce catches a ten yard in route and breaks it to the outside to take his team to the Rams 30.  The existence of fan support for Bruce is not surprising as he was one of the most humble and well liked (not to mention successful) athletes in recent St. Louis history, but the sheer volume is astounding, there is no difference between when he played for the Rams.

 

-2:05 1^st Quarter: Rams defense bends, but does not break as the 49ers are forced to settle for a 48 yard field goal to put the visitors up 3-0.

 

- The 2^nd quarter begins on the Rams 49 with Bulger completing a 15 yard pass to Torry Holt.  This is immediately followed by a food break.  I get the nachos supreme, Ben orders a hot dog for $7.75.  But this was no ordinary frankfurter; he purchased a half pound Farmland "Big Dog."  Disgusting.  In our absence Josh Brown kicked a 43 yard field goal to even the score at three apiece.  Back to the action!

 

-6:19 2^nd Quarter: The 49ers have the ball and are driving, but the Rams defense makes its presence felt and sacks Shaun Hill who fumbles!  San Fran recovers and they are forced to punt to Dane Looker who lets the ball sail over his head into the end zone.

 

-4:02 2^nd Quarter: Rams ride Steven Jackson to two first downs to take them to their own 36 yardline.

 

- Approaching the two minute warning the Rams break out their own version of the "Wildcat" offensive package, I'm going to call it "Ramwild" from here on out.  This first appearance of Ramwild nets Saint Louis a 12 yard gain on a Jackson carry.

- Two minute warning prompts just one rhetorical question.  Just how thin is the line between NFL cheerleader and pole dancer?

 

-1:12 2^nd Quarter: 30 yard pass from Marc Bulger to Keenan Burton who broke open on a post route.  With the extra point, the Rams go up 10-3.

 

-:37 2^nd Quarter: Once the 49ers get the ball back, cornerback Roland Bartell makes a leaping, tumbling interception and in the process pumps a little more life into the ailing crowd at the dome.

 

-:19 2^nd Quarter: Rams advance down the field with the aid of completed passes to Darby who gets the team down to the 49ers 23 yardline.

 

-:10 2^nd Quarter: In a somewhat inexplicable move, the Rams elect to kick a field goal instead of taking one more shot at the endzone before halftime.  Of course the kick is good, and the Rams extend their lead to 13-3.

 

2^nd half begins with a kickoff returned by the 49ers to their own 24.

 

-13:30 3^rd Quarter: 3^rd and 3 pass by 49ers QB Shaun Hill nearly picks off by Rams linebacker Will Witherspoon; ensuing punt is downed by the 49ers deep in Rams territory at the seven.

 

-12:42 3^rd Quarter: The atmosphere in the Ed Jones Dome is downright depressing.  The Rams are actually winning the game, but it is quiet enough to hear the rustling of the cheerleader's pom-poms!  Everyone seems to be waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the Rams to somehow mess this up.

 

-11:46 3^rd Quarter: Tinoisamoa sacks Shaun Hill to back the 49ers up to 3^rd and 17 on their own 30.  Leonard Little follows this up with a sack of his own for an eight yard loss.

 

-10:28 3^rd Quarter: Following a 49ers punt, St. Louis is back in the Ramwild formation.  Jackson takes the shotgun snap and tosses it to a streaking Dane Looker who loops around behind the running back and desperately looks for someone to throw the pass to.  All the receivers are covered except for Marc Bulger, but Looker clearly wants to pass it to someone else, haha, hilarious!  Looker resigns himself to throwing to Bulger who catches the pass for a four yard gain and then stepped out of bounds.  The next play was a huge delayed screen pass to Jackson that would have gone for 20 or 30 yards, but it was called back because of a penalty on Richie "Babyface" Incognito.  The Rams have employed two of the craziest offensive linemen in recent NFL history in Kyle Turley and Incognito; awesome.

 

-5:45 3^rd Quarter: 49ers have the ball on their own 40 facing a 4^th and 2.  Shaun Hill drops back to pass, he is immediately under duress from several Rams.  I will let the shrill yellings of the woman behind me tell the rest of the story on this play, "Get him! Get him! Hit him! Shit."  1^st down 49ers on a little scramble by Hill.  Just a couple plays later Bartell bails the Rams out with his second pick of the day giving the offense the ball at their own 36 with 4:41 to play in the 3^rd quarter.

 

-2:22 3^rd Quarter:  More Ramwild, a six yard rush for Jackson.  Maybe the Rams should have gotten crafty earlier in the season?  It's not like we had anything to lose...outside of eight straight games.

 

-3^rd Quarter ends with the Rams still driving and they have the ball on the 49ers 16 yard-line facing a 2^nd and 10 still winning 13-3.

 

-11:36 4^th Quarter: Josh Brown kicks a 22 yard field goal after the Rams O shuts down and fails to produce a touchdown.  Rams lead 16-3, with less than a quarter to play the EJ Dome is starting to feel a little confident.

 

-9:15 4^th Quarter: Rams have possession and are milking the clock by pounding the ball with Steven Jackson, first down at the 50; but the Rams ultimately punt on this drive.

 

-4:26 4^th Quarter: With time running out on the 49ers and the Rams defense playing well the atmosphere begins to intensify.  Saint Louis forces San Fran into a 3^rd and 10 situation, but the 49ers are able to convert and quell the surge of the home town crowd.

 

-4:14 4^th Quarter: 49ers move to the Rams 10 and stare down a 3^rd and 6.  San Fran converts and moves to the three yardline where Shaun Hill finds Issac Bruce in the endzone and with the extra point; the score, 16-10 St. Louis.  The Bruce touchdown is the 1000^th catch of his career!  This puts Bruce in a rarefied air that I think St. Louis fans would have respected regardless of the player, but because it is the beloved Issac Bruce, the cheering and applause is deafening.  Good for him! 

 

But, the Rams still need to win this game.

 

-4:03 4^th Quarter: 49ers line up as if to try an onside kick, but boot it deep instead.  This looks good for the Rams, all we have to do is run out the clock, or at least run off enough time that the 49ers cannot drive the field and score.

 

-2:27 4^th Quarter: Rams punt.  49ers start the drive on their own 33.  Tinoisamoa gets a HUGE sack on Shaun Hill for a seven yard loss that takes the clock down to the two minute warning.

 

-2:00 4^th Quarter: 13 yard pass completed to Bruce, still many cheers, but now the EJ Dome is sensing this game slipping away.  It was alright to cheer for a player on the 49ers when it wasn't jeopardizing the Rams victory, what will be just the third of the season, snapping an eight game losing streak; but now that Bruce is helping drive his team down the field, there is internal conflict amongst Rams fans.

 

-1:22 4^th Quarter:  48 yard Hail Mary of a bomb that is snatched out of the air by 49ers receiver Josh Morgan ties the game at 16.  The extra point gives the 49ers a 17-16 lead.  The EJ Dome is blanketed with silence, but there is still a degree of hope.  Even though the Rams offense has proven to be impotent at best this season, thoughts of the "Greatest Show on Turf" cannot be shaken from the collective memories of St. Louisans.  So we believe that our terrible offense can drive the ball down the field and engineer a game winning drive.  To the extent that I talk trash to the annoying 49ers fans in front of us telling them, "you guys left too much time on the clock! We are going to drive it right down and score!"  Their moronic response, "Your offense stinks!  You guys have only won two games this year!"  I suppose that point should have ended the argument because I have been saying those same two things all season long, but it's different when the criticism is borne out of love as opposed to the foul mouthbreathings of some starter jacket wearing fat San Franciscan.  But I'm not upset.  I'm just going to let the Rams do the talking for me on the field.

 

-1:16 4^th Quarter: Darby returns the kickoff to the Rams 26.  First play of the drive; incomplete pass off Torry Holt's hands.  I have defended Torry Holt this entire season and his career as I think he is one of the greatest and most underrated receivers of the past 10-15 years, but this play just seemed to be a lack of concentration and how can you not be focused on a potential game winning drive?  Where have you gone Torry "Big Game" Holt?  In an ironic twist, on the very next play, Donnie Avery makes an 11 yard catch to keep the drive moving.  Avery comes through in the clutch, but Holt doesn't?  Interesting.

 

1:06 4^th Quarter: 1^st and 10 from their own 37, Bulger is sacked for a five yard loss to bring up 2^nd and 15.  Six yard completion to Holt; 3^rd and 9.  Incomplete pass to Steven Jackson, yet another anti-clutch performer; 4^th and 9.

 

:31 4^th Quarter: Bulger throws a deep out to Donnie Avery that is undercut by a 49ers defensive back and tipped... but miraculously and acrobatically caught by Avery as he drags his feet while he falls out of bounds!  Amazing play!  The dome is rocking, we are starting to feel like we can actually make this comeback!  Rams ball on their own 45!  Josh Brown is more than capable of 50 yard field goals so all we have to do is get the ball to the San Fran 35 yardline or so.

 

:25 4^th Quarter:  Draw to Steven Jackson for a loss of three yards.  Rams call a timeout, hopefully to think of some legitimate plays to call in this situation.

 

:22 4^th Quarter:  Bulger takes the snap and throws an interception.  Game over.  San Francisco 49ers 17- Saint Louis Rams 16.

 

 

For my game summary this week, I am trying a new format (for me, not new to the world); the "running commentary."  I watched yesterday's Rams/ 49ers game with my friend Ben, wrote out all my observations and comments as we took in the action live.  This is my attempt to make it all into a coherent column.

 

 

 

Thank you St. Louis Rams fans!

 

Because today's game was blacked out in Saint Louis my buddy Ben and I decided to head downtown in an attempt to buy scalped tickets outside of the Edward Jones Dome.  As we walked several blocks in the frigid afternoon air, probably about seven to eight degrees around noon, we feared that the bitter cold would keep the sellers at home to just cut their losses, but surely enough, we made eye contact with a man holding up two tickets from across the street.  We managed to get $88 tickets for just 30 bucks each, so the afternoon got off to a great start.  So I am writing this from our seats inside the climate controlled dome in section 110.  Ben is reminding me to mention the particularly leggy woman wearing a remarkably short skirt we saw as we walked to the dome from his car.  There it was.

 

We are about ten minutes before kickoff and the best two Rams trot out onto the field;   Kicker Josh Brown and punter Donnie Avery.  They look even less physically impressive in person, but they have certainly been the most consistent and competent Rams all season.  That's how bad the Rams are and have been, then again, special teams is a third of the game, right?

 

The Rams win the toss and elect to receive the kickoff the start the game.  My prediction, Rams 35- 49ers 21; and Ben's, "20-17 Rams, a thriller.  In Overtime."

 

-14:53 1^st Quarter: On the first play after the kickoff Rams quarterback Marc Bulger gets walloped as he releases the pass and is nearly picked off.  A collective, "here we go again" vibe slathers the crowd.

 

-13:40 1^st Quarter: Rams dodge a bullet after a Bulger interception is negated by an offsides penalty on the 49ers prior the snap.

 

- Rams running back Steven Jackson is receiving a steady dosage of carries early on, which is theoretically a good thing since he is meant to be one of, it not our best players.  But I just noticed something.  When Jackson is introduced before home games, he is the last one out of the tunnel and he waits for everyone else to fully matriculate through the high-five line because he bolts through his teammates like a bat out of hell!  Should I be concerned that our star running back demonstrates the greatest explosiveness after he is introduced, not, I don't know, when he's actually running plays for this team on the field?  Just saying...

 

-10:07 1^st Quarter: Rams fizzle. Donnie Jones punts.

 

-9:58 1^st Quarter: 49ers begin their first drive; as former Ram great Issac Bruce is acknowledged over the PA, he receives the loudest cheers of the day.

 

-8:36 1^st Quarter: Rams defense shuts down the 49ers offense and nearly pick off a pass, forcing a punt.

 

- 6:30 1^st Quarter: Much to the delight of Rams fans, Jim Haslett elects to attempt a conversion on 4^th and 1 from the San Fran 45.  They get it on a rush from Jackson.

 

-5:28 1^st Quarter: Rams backup running back Kenneth Darby gets embarrassed as he catches a pass out of the backfield and collides with the referee in the middle of the field.  Both men try to soften the blow, but somehow Darby ends up being the one laid flat on his back.  Pretty hilarious, and Darby will undoubtedly hear about that one for weeks to come.  On the following play Darby again catches a short pass, but this time uber-linebacker Patrick Willis knocks the running back off his feet as he wraps up a perfect tackle.  Bulger attempts a pass into double coverage on the following play, which was another 4^th down the team attempted to convert.  The ball fluttered harmlessly to the turf, 49ers ball on their own 37 with 4:21 to play in the quarter.

 

-2:43 1^st Quarter: As the 49ers drive, Issac Bruce catches a ten yard in route and breaks it to the outside to take his team to the Rams 30.  The existence of fan support for Bruce is not surprising as he was one of the most humble and well liked (not to mention successful) athletes in recent St. Louis history, but the sheer volume is astounding, there is no difference between when he played for the Rams.

 

-2:05 1^st Quarter: Rams defense bends, but does not break as the 49ers are forced to settle for a 48 yard field goal to put the visitors up 3-0.

 

- The 2^nd quarter begins on the Rams 49 with Bulger completing a 15 yard pass to Torry Holt.  This is immediately followed by a food break.  I get the nachos supreme, Ben orders a hot dog for $7.75.  But this was no ordinary frankfurter; he purchased a half pound Farmland "Big Dog."  Disgusting.  In our absence Josh Brown kicked a 43 yard field goal to even the score at three apiece.  Back to the action!

 

-6:19 2^nd Quarter: The 49ers have the ball and are driving, but the Rams defense makes its presence felt and sacks Shaun Hill who fumbles!  San Fran recovers and they are forced to punt to Dane Looker who lets the ball sail over his head into the end zone.

 

-4:02 2^nd Quarter: Rams ride Steven Jackson to two first downs to take them to their own 36 yardline.

 

- Approaching the two minute warning the Rams break out their own version of the "Wildcat" offensive package, I'm going to call it "Ramwild" from here on out.  This first appearance of Ramwild nets Saint Louis a 12 yard gain on a Jackson carry.

- Two minute warning prompts just one rhetorical question.  Just how thin is the line between NFL cheerleader and pole dancer?

 

-1:12 2^nd Quarter: 30 yard pass from Marc Bulger to Keenan Burton who broke open on a post route.  With the extra point, the Rams go up 10-3.

 

-:37 2^nd Quarter: Once the 49ers get the ball back, cornerback Roland Bartell makes a leaping, tumbling interception and in the process pumps a little more life into the ailing crowd at the dome.

 

-:19 2^nd Quarter: Rams advance down the field with the aid of completed passes to Darby who gets the team down to the 49ers 23 yardline.

 

-:10 2^nd Quarter: In a somewhat inexplicable move, the Rams elect to kick a field goal instead of taking one more shot at the endzone before halftime.  Of course the kick is good, and the Rams extend their lead to 13-3.

 

2^nd half begins with a kickoff returned by the 49ers to their own 24.

 

-13:30 3^rd Quarter: 3^rd and 3 pass by 49ers QB Shaun Hill nearly picks off by Rams linebacker Will Witherspoon; ensuing punt is downed by the 49ers deep in Rams territory at the seven.

 

-12:42 3^rd Quarter: The atmosphere in the Ed Jones Dome is downright depressing.  The Rams are actually winning the game, but it is quiet enough to hear the rustling of the cheerleader's pom-poms!  Everyone seems to be waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the Rams to somehow mess this up.

 

-11:46 3^rd Quarter: Tinoisamoa sacks Shaun Hill to back the 49ers up to 3^rd and 17 on their own 30.  Leonard Little follows this up with a sack of his own for an eight yard loss.

 

-10:28 3^rd Quarter: Following a 49ers punt, St. Louis is back in the Ramwild formation.  Jackson takes the shotgun snap and tosses it to a streaking Dane Looker who loops around behind the running back and desperately looks for someone to throw the pass to.  All the receivers are covered except for Marc Bulger, but Looker clearly wants to pass it to someone else, haha, hilarious!  Looker resigns himself to throwing to Bulger who catches the pass for a four yard gain and then stepped out of bounds.  The next play was a huge delayed screen pass to Jackson that would have gone for 20 or 30 yards, but it was called back because of a penalty on Richie "Babyface" Incognito.  The Rams have employed two of the craziest offensive linemen in recent NFL history in Kyle Turley and Incognito; awesome.

 

-5:45 3^rd Quarter: 49ers have the ball on their own 40 facing a 4^th and 2.  Shaun Hill drops back to pass, he is immediately under duress from several Rams.  I will let the shrill yellings of the woman behind me tell the rest of the story on this play, "Get him! Get him! Hit him! Shit."  1^st down 49ers on a little scramble by Hill.  Just a couple plays later Bartell bails the Rams out with his second pick of the day giving the offense the ball at their own 36 with 4:41 to play in the 3^rd quarter.

 

-2:22 3^rd Quarter:  More Ramwild, a six yard rush for Jackson.  Maybe the Rams should have gotten crafty earlier in the season?  It's not like we had anything to lose...outside of eight straight games.

 

-3^rd Quarter ends with the Rams still driving and they have the ball on the 49ers 16 yard-line facing a 2^nd and 10 still winning 13-3.

 

-11:36 4^th Quarter: Josh Brown kicks a 22 yard field goal after the Rams O shuts down and fails to produce a touchdown.  Rams lead 16-3, with less than a quarter to play the EJ Dome is starting to feel a little confident.

 

-9:15 4^th Quarter: Rams have possession and are milking the clock by pounding the ball with Steven Jackson, first down at the 50; but the Rams ultimately punt on this drive.

 

-4:26 4^th Quarter: With time running out on the 49ers and the Rams defense playing well the atmosphere begins to intensify.  Saint Louis forces San Fran into a 3^rd and 10 situation, but the 49ers are able to convert and quell the surge of the home town crowd.

 

-4:14 4^th Quarter: 49ers move to the Rams 10 and stare down a 3^rd and 6.  San Fran converts and moves to the three yardline where Shaun Hill finds Issac Bruce in the endzone and with the extra point; the score, 16-10 St. Louis.  The Bruce touchdown is the 1000^th catch of his career!  This puts Bruce in a rarefied air that I think St. Louis fans would have respected regardless of the player, but because it is the beloved Issac Bruce, the cheering and applause is deafening.  Good for him! 

 

But, the Rams still need to win this game.

 

-4:03 4^th Quarter: 49ers line up as if to try an onside kick, but boot it deep instead.  This looks good for the Rams, all we have to do is run out the clock, or at least run off enough time that the 49ers cannot drive the field and score.

 

-2:27 4^th Quarter: Rams punt.  49ers start the drive on their own 33.  Tinoisamoa gets a HUGE sack on Shaun Hill for a seven yard loss that takes the clock down to the two minute warning.

 

-2:00 4^th Quarter: 13 yard pass completed to Bruce, still many cheers, but now the EJ Dome is sensing this game slipping away.  It was alright to cheer for a player on the 49ers when it wasn't jeopardizing the Rams victory, what will be just the third of the season, snapping an eight game losing streak; but now that Bruce is helping drive his team down the field, there is internal conflict amongst Rams fans.

 

-1:22 4^th Quarter:  48 yard Hail Mary of a bomb that is snatched out of the air by 49ers receiver Josh Morgan ties the game at 16.  The extra point gives the 49ers a 17-16 lead.  The EJ Dome is blanketed with silence, but there is still a degree of hope.  Even though the Rams offense has proven to be impotent at best this season, thoughts of the "Greatest Show on Turf" cannot be shaken from the collective memories of St. Louisans.  So we believe that our terrible offense can drive the ball down the field and engineer a game winning drive.  To the extent that I talk trash to the annoying 49ers fans in front of us telling them, "you guys left too much time on the clock! We are going to drive it right down and score!"  Their moronic response, "Your offense stinks!  You guys have only won two games this year!"  I suppose that point should have ended the argument because I have been saying those same two things all season long, but it's different when the criticism is borne out of love as opposed to the foul mouthbreathings of some starter jacket wearing fat San Franciscan.  But I'm not upset.  I'm just going to let the Rams do the talking for me on the field.

 

-1:16 4^th Quarter: Darby returns the kickoff to the Rams 26.  First play of the drive; incomplete pass off Torry Holt's hands.  I have defended Torry Holt this entire season and his career as I think he is one of the greatest and most underrated receivers of the past 10-15 years, but this play just seemed to be a lack of concentration and how can you not be focused on a potential game winning drive?  Where have you gone Torry "Big Game" Holt?  In an ironic twist, on the very next play, Donnie Avery makes an 11 yard catch to keep the drive moving.  Avery comes through in the clutch, but Holt doesn't?  Interesting.

 

1:06 4^th Quarter: 1^st and 10 from their own 37, Bulger is sacked for a five yard loss to bring up 2^nd and 15.  Six yard completion to Holt; 3^rd and 9.  Incomplete pass to Steven Jackson, yet another anti-clutch performer; 4^th and 9.

 

:31 4^th Quarter: Bulger throws a deep out to Donnie Avery that is undercut by a 49ers defensive back and tipped... but miraculously and acrobatically caught by Avery as he drags his feet while he falls out of bounds!  Amazing play!  The dome is rocking, we are starting to feel like we can actually make this comeback!  Rams ball on their own 45!  Josh Brown is more than capable of 50 yard field goals so all we have to do is get the ball to the San Fran 35 yardline or so.

 

:25 4^th Quarter:  Draw to Steven Jackson for a loss of three yards.  Rams call a timeout, hopefully to think of some legitimate plays to call in this situation.

 

:22 4^th Quarter:  Bulger takes the snap and throws an interception.  Game over.  San Francisco 49ers 17- Saint Louis Rams 16.

It looks like there is yet another name on the possible radar for the Rams, and this one comes out of the college ranks. The name is one that you may know - it’s Stanford coach and former NFL QB John Harbaugh. Adam Schefter of NFL.com reported today that a couple of teams, [...]

From: NFL.com The Rams have requested and received permission to interview Buccaneers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who spent Monday in Denver interviewing for the Broncos vacant head coaching job. The Rams have yet to schedule the interview with Morris, but will attempt to shortly.

The Rams got permission to interview four more head coaching candidates this morning the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting.  The coaches are Todd Bowles of Miami and Leslie Frazier of Minnesota, who have just had their season’s ended.  I have to say I am impressed with Frazier, who bottled up Brian Westbrook except for one [...]