Wagoner: reasons for pessimism, reasons for optimism, at the bye

Lack of complete offense reason for pessimism at Rams’ bye

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/22593/lack-of-complete-offense-reason-for-pessimism-at-rams-bye

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Here we are at the St. Louis Rams’ bye. It’s only Week 6 and while most of the league will be in action today, the 2-3 Rams won’t be.

So it’s a good time to offer a look at three reasons for optimism and three reasons for pessimism for the team’s final 11 games. Earlier today, we looked at the bright side. Now it’s time for the potential negatives:

1. The offense hasn’t put it all together: So far, the Rams offense has been as many suspected it would be. That’s not a good thing. Entering Sunday’s games, the Rams are last in the league in total offense and the only team averaging less than 300 yards per game (297). They’re last in first downs with 72 and 29th in offensive points scored per game at 15.4. It hasn’t been all bad as Todd Gurley and the running game have revved up the past couple of weeks. But with that progress has come some regression. The Rams are 30th in passing yards per game behind a leaky offensive line that’s had quarterback Nick Foles under more pressure than any signal-caller in the league except Seattle’s Russell Wilson. Compounding matters is a group of pass-catchers that’s struggled to consistently gain separation or actually catch the ball. There are signs of a breakthrough, but still too many pieces that haven’t come together. If and when they do, one has to wonder if it will be too late.

2. The injury bug bites: Save for cornerback E.J. Gaines, the Rams made it through the preseason and the early part of the regular season without any major injury issues. That’s changed in recent weeks. Linebacker Alec Ogletree was playing at a Pro Bowl level before a fractured fibula landed him on the sideline. The Rams are holding out hope that they’ll be in contention late in the season and Ogletree can return, but it’s going to be hard to stay in contention without his services. Guard Rodger Saffold is out for the season because of a shoulder injury, which has the Rams dipping into an already shallow pool of offensive linemen. End Chris Long is dealing with a hyperextended knee from which he’s expected to return, but it remains to be seen when that will happen. The Rams have a better roster than they’ve had in years, but they’re already putting their depth to the test and probably aren’t equipped to go much further into the depth chart and stay in the playoff mix.

3. Penalty regression: The Rams actually have improved quite a bit when it comes to penalties so far this season. They have 34 penalties in the first five games, which is tied for 13th fewest in the league. That’s a good sign, right? Well, yes, but it also could portend a regression to what they’ve done in the past under coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher’s Rams entered 2015 with the most penalties in the league since 2012, when he took over. Each year, they have talked about reducing that number and each year they have failed. It’s certainly possible that this is finally the year it happens, but history would suggest that they’re due for more flags to fly their way as the season rolls on.

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Todd Gurley among reasons for optimism at Rams’ bye

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/22586/todd-gurley-among-reasons-for-optimism-at-rams-bye

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Here we are at the St. Louis Rams’ bye. It’s only Week 6 and while most of the league will be in action Sunday, there will be no game for the 2-3 Rams to play.

So what better time than now to offer a look at three reasons for optimism and three reasons for pessimism (coming later Sunday) for the team’s final 11 games? We’ll start with the bright side:

1. The emergence of Todd Gurley: It’s only a two-game sample size but what a two games it’s been. Gurley leads the NFL in rushing over the past two weeks with 305 yards and in just three games since making his debut, he’s averaging 5.7 yards per carry. This is an offense built to feature the running game and now it has the running back worthy of that approach. It’s not overstating things to say that Gurley is the most exciting offensive player the Rams have had since receiver Torry Holt’s prime (with apologies to Steven Jackson). And Gurley is just getting started. He still hasn’t had his first game without a knee brace but he’s practiced without it and looks faster in those practices. Teams will key on Gurley moving forward but he’s talented enough to make a legitimate run at the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

2. A stout defense: Save for a disappointing Week 2 outing against the Washington Redskins, the Rams defense has finally lived up to lofty preseason expectations and it’s done so against some of the most dynamic offenses in the league in Pittsburgh, Arizona and Green Bay. Five games in, the Rams defense is allowing 18.2 points per game (that doesn’t include points scored via special teams or by opposing defenses). The Rams are tied for 10th in yards allowed per play (5.25), third in sacks (19) and tied for eighth in takeaways (nine). All of that despite an offense that has offered little in the way of help. The Rams’ defense has been on the field fifth-most in the league with an average opponent time of possession of 33 minutes, 24 seconds. Some of that is a result of the defense’s mediocre performance on third down. This group will miss linebacker Alec Ogletree but if the offense can find a way to start sustaining drives on a consistent basis, it should get better as the year goes on.

3. A lighter schedule: The Rams’ first five opponents combined for a record of 16-9, making for a difficult start to the season from a scheduling perspective. To their credit, the Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals on the road, one of the two toughest opponents on that slate, and proved they could hang with just about any team in the league. The Rams also blew a golden opportunity to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and laid an egg against a beatable Washington team. But while we have already discussed the fact that the Rams are in no position to take any team lightly, the reality is that they will be getting a break from the likes of the Packers, Cardinals and Steelers. The team’s next five opponents enter Sunday’s games with a combined record of 8-16 and only two opponents in the final 11 games have a record better than .500. Yes, the Rams still have to prove they can be consistent and string wins together, but not having to go on the road to face Super Bowl contenders like Green Bay and Arizona in back-to-back weeks should offer at least a little bit of help in that endeavor