Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › "Marc Bulger one of the most under appreciated players in St.L. Rams history"
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June 15, 2015 at 11:22 pm #26348znModerator
X found this
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Marc Bulger deserves to be considered a Rams legend
Steve Rebeiro in 1995-2004, 2005-Present, Everything Rams
http://talkgridiron.com/ramstalk/2015/06/marc-bulger-deserves-to-be-considered-a-rams-legend/
Marc Bulger is one of the most under appreciated players in St. Louis Rams history. Many fans remember him for his rapid decline late in his career, but Bulger should be remembered for leading the Rams to the playoffs twice and putting up monster numbers in the process. He did have one of the best stretches for a quarterback in Rams history, despite a very brief prime.
Bulger was a star in college at West Virginia University, but his career with the Mountaineers was ended abruptly by an injury during his senior season. His draft stock took a hit as a result and the New Orleans Saints selected him in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. After bouncing around the league, Bulger found a spot on the Rams practice squad during his rookie year and remained a part of it during the Rams 2001 NFC Championship season.
Bulger made the roster in 2002, serving as the third-string quarterback behind reigning MVP Kurt Warner and his backup Jamie Martin. The Rams began the season 0-5, despite Warner starting three games before suffering an injury. Bulger finally got his shot when Martin went down with an injury following Week 5. Bulger led the Rams on a five-game winning streak, throwing for 1,496 yards and 12 touchdowns during that stretch. Bulger finished the 2002 season with a 6-0 record in games he both started and finished.
Warner was still the Rams starter going into the 2003 season, but Bulger took over following Warner’s poor Week 1 performance and never looked back. The St Louis Rams finished 12-4, winning the NFC West and earning a first round bye. Bulger’s Pro Bowl performance served as the catalyst for the Rams success. He threw for 3,845 yards and 22 touchdowns. He would later be named MVP of the 2004 Pro Bowl following the Super Bowl.
Marc Bulger continued his success in 2004. He threw for 3,964 yards and 21 touchdowns in 14 games. The Rams finished 8-8 and earned a wildcard berth. Bulger and the Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the first round, their last playoff victory as of the 2014 season.
Bulger recorded a career year in 2006 after an injury-riddled 2005 season. He set career highs in passing yards (4,301) and touchdowns (24) while playing in 16 games for the first time in his career. Bulger was selected to his second Pro Bowl and led the Rams to an 8-8 record, barely missing the playoffs.
Everything went downhill for Bulger following the 2006 season. Bulger started 35 games over the next three years, winning just five of them. Bulger threw for 34 interceptions and only 27 touchdowns. The Ram’s brutal offensive line was a big part of Bulger’s downfall. Bulger was sacked 89 times over this three-year stretch and a total of 254 times in his career. This resulted in rib injuries and concussions, two injuries that would be recurring during his final few years in St. Louis. Bulger was placed on the injury report 21 times during his last three years with the Rams. He left the Rams following the 2009 season and went to Baltimore, but he never threw a pass in his one season with the Ravens.
It’s hard for any quarterback to accumulate success without the right talent around him. Bulger put up outstanding numbers when he had both Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce at the peak of their careers. But once age caught up to both of them, it seemed to catch up to Bulger as well. Although his prime was brief, it was one of the better stints any quarterback has had in a Rams uniform.
June 16, 2015 at 1:37 am #26353AgamemnonParticipantJune 16, 2015 at 7:12 am #26357wvParticipantNote the quick release. …back when the rams actually
threw over the middle…- This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by wv.
June 16, 2015 at 9:00 am #26360bnwBlockedNote the quick release. …back when the rams actually
threw over the middle…Good point. According to John Madden Bulger had the quickest release in the NFL.
The upside to being a Rams fan is heartbreak.
Sprinkles are for winners.
June 16, 2015 at 9:06 am #26362znModeratorNote the quick release. …back when the rams actually
threw over the middle…Good point. According to John Madden Bulger had the quickest release in the NFL.
Paul Zimmerman, or I think it was him, clocked him and some other qbs. He came in just under Marino in terms of his release.
June 16, 2015 at 10:47 am #26366— X —ParticipantYes, but, is he an elevator operator?
All the great ones could operator elevators.
Or elevate operators.Something.
You have to be odd, to be number one.
-- Dr SeussJune 16, 2015 at 10:59 am #26367znModeratorYes, but, is he an elevator operator?
All the great ones could operator elevators.
Or elevate operators.Something.
That was some run they had there. From 98-2000 they acquire 3 qbs who rank anywhere from very good to elite, and did not spend a single draft pick on it.
I mean of course, Warner, Green, Bulger.
Green didn’t get to do that much for them on the field but according to all the great camp reports from the summer of 99, and the testimony of players, he was instrumental in helping the offense get new confidence.
Speaking of which, “which” being the Golden Age of Rams QBs, here’s an old write-up talking about Warner’s first pre-season game as the starter:
FAST EDDIE’S NOTES ON THE DETROIT GAME (Sept 3, 1999)
http://www.geocities.ws/ramsezine/preseason99/preseason99index.htm
Kurt Warner should have given everyone some hope last night. He did an excellent job of doing just what Mike Martz said he needed to do, staying within the scheme, managing the team, and taking what the defense gave him to put his playmakers in positions to make plays. He threw the ball very accurately throughout and he didn’t get rattled when his receivers dropped some balls and he showed that he does have some good scrambling ability and pocket awareness. He threw the slants right where they needed to be and with more zip than I’ve seen Trent Green put on the ball.
He is not where Trent was obviously. If you watch him closely, you do not see his eyes moving from side to side while he’s dropping back seeing the whole field the way Trent was doing. He’s going to his primary option with the ball the overwhelming majority of the time. But to his credit, the ability to do that has at least something to do with making the right reads at the line. The presnap motion is perhaps the most important part of reading the defensive schemes if you believe Mike Martz when he talks and Warner must be doing something right to find the open man such a high percentage of the time. Throw Ike Bruce in there all game long and he probably doesn’t have to look at anyone else most of the time!
Some other random thoughts…
I really liked what I saw of London Fletcher at middle linebacker in this game. I had been critical of him for not having the size and strength to fight through blocks and make tackles up near the line of scrimmage. But if you watch him closely, you realize that this is a moot criticism of this player to a large extent. What Fletcher does very well is make it very hard for a blocker to lock him up when he’s one on one—many times they don’t even get a hand on him. He has such quick feet, excellent balance and body control, that he jukes them like a running back and gets down the line to the ballcarrier. His only weakness may be when they run right at him, otherwise, he gets to the play and he gets in on the tackle. He never misses a tackle in the open field. We won’t see any embarrassing Lamar Smith like runs with him in the middle.
The Rams had a lot of success in the first half running right behind Fred Miller and Adam Timmerman. Miller has been criticized a lot by fans throughout the preseason, but I think most of it has been unfounded. You watch how often #73 gets his man pushed to the outside and then turns and hustles upfield to get a body on a linebacker as well. You put that kind of effort beside Adam Timmerman who has the strength to maul the inside guys and the quickness to pull out and lead the sweeps downfield and I think Marshall should have alot of success to the right side. Jackie Slater loves Fred Miller as well.
On the left side, Pace has stepped up his game and looks poised to be an all pro. He’s sustaining his blocks and finishing them off like we’ve never seen him before.
On the second drive, for some reason Andy McCollum was playing left guard and I do not think much of him at all. McCollum gets manhandled in pass protection and he doesn’t have any success drive blocking either. Derrick Harris is doing an excellent job picking up the linebackers when he’s first through the hole, but when a guy like McCollum doesn’t get his hole cleared to the inside, Harris has to match up with a lineman and the play is bottled up at the line. Nutten returned for the final drive and he was much better.
It is very important I think that Ray Agnew comes back quickly. He may be the most underrated player on this Rams defense. Ray gets off the blocks and he gets down the line to make plays against the run all over the field and ends up in places where you would not expect him. He showed some flashes of quickness at the line as well and got into the backfield, especially on the play in which he was injured when he leveled Batch. I thought Sears and Hyder played decently in that first half, but they are not Ray Agnews.
The Rams got good pass rush in the two minute drill when they knew the pass was coming and the linemen and backers got the opportunity to pin their ears back. I think we’re going to see some imaginative line stunts and blitz packages from Giunta once the regular season starts and our pass rush will be more than adequate. I like the way they use Charlie Clemons as a situational pass rusher. Having him free to terrorize the QB is another benefit of Fletcher starting at MLB. Finally… the Rams corner play is just excellent. Dexter was out this game and Taje Allen left some big cushions that we’re not used to seeing since McNeil left, but he did not get beat. On the other side, Lyght did not see a single ball come his way all half by my count until the very end and he made a great play to break that one up in the endzone. Dre Bly had a similar play and showed off his great ball awareness on the play just before that in the corner of the endzone. We will not see these corners give up 29 TD passes this year:-)
June 16, 2015 at 3:48 pm #26395bnwBlockedNote the quick release. …back when the rams actually
threw over the middle…Good point. According to John Madden Bulger had the quickest release in the NFL.
Paul Zimmerman, or I think it was him, clocked him and some other qbs. He came in just under Marino in terms of his release.
I’m sure Madden meant in the game at that time.
The upside to being a Rams fan is heartbreak.
Sprinkles are for winners.
June 16, 2015 at 3:55 pm #26397znModeratorI’m sure Madden meant in the game at that time.
I’m sorry, I was agreeing with you, and didn’t put it clearly. Yeah I figured Madden meant at the time; Zimmerman was doing a longer time frame. So I was just agreeing, and expanding. Having the 2nd best release to Marino is really a big deal.
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