Worst Offense in History?

Believe it or not, Rams’ offense has been worse recently
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Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/24650/believe-it-or-not-rams-offense-has-been-worse-recently

EARTH CITY, Mo. — To be sure, new St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Rob Boras faces an uphill battle in taking over an abysmal offense that ranks near the bottom of the league in many categories.

Boras is charged with the unenviable task of helping an offense that’s consistently failed to move the ball, let alone score points.

Through 12 games, the 2015 Rams rank 31st in yards per game (296.3) and offensive points per game (14.4), 32nd in passing yards per game (178.0), third-down conversion rate (24.5 percent) and first downs (175), and tied for 30th in offensive touchdowns (18).
Quarterback Nick Foles hasn’t played as well as the Rams hoped he would. AP Photo/L.G. Patterson

But as difficult as Boras’ job is in the final four games, it’s amazing to think this isn’t even the worst Rams offense of the past eight years. It’s probably not even second-worst, and might not even make the medal stand.

An offense that once earned the “Greatest Show on Turf” moniker has fallen so far. Here’s a look at the current offense and some others of recent vintage that have actually been worse.

* Perhaps the worst offense since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995 was the 2009 group. They finished 29th in yards per game (279.4), 28th in passing yards per game (167.8) and third-down conversion rate (32.3 percent), and last in offensive points per game (10.5). Although some of those rankings are better than the current ones, the overall output is still worse in every category except third-down conversion rate.

* Coming in a close second to the 2009 offense is the 2011 unit. They were 31st in yards per game (283.6), 30th in passing yards per game (179.4), and last in third-down conversion rate (28.1 percent) and offensive points per game (10.9).

* Perhaps the best comparison, at least in terms of numbers, for this year’s offense is the 2008 Rams. That group finished 29th in offensive points per game (14.1), 27th in total yards (287.2), 26th in passing yards per game (184.2), and 29th in third-down conversion rate (31.9 percent).

In going back through the numbers since the Rams’ last .500 season in 2006, the common thread has been an anemic offense that ranks in the bottom third of the league in most major categories. Perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise for a team that hasn’t had good quarterback play since Marc Bulger was healthy, features an offensive line that seems to need an overhaul every offseason, and has lacked a No. 1 wideout who can consistently create separation since Torry Holt was in his prime.

That isn’t to say the Rams need to ignore the defense moving forward, or that the offense will ever get back to the “Greatest Show” days, but there’s no doubt that for this franchise to return to prominence, the offense must once again become a priority.