| St. Louis Rams tickets have been selling like | | | | points, regardless of whether the talent he |
| hotcakes during the first part of the 2006 | | | | had at his disposal was run or pass-oriented. |
| season as the Rams got off to a fast start. | | | | Linehan could put together a system that fit |
| It looked like they were a team that was | | | | his players. |
| instantly going to get better under a bright | | | | |
| new coach, and most thought it would be the | | | | However, the difference between serving as a |
| Rams who posed the biggest challenge to | | | | coordinator and a head coach couldn't be more |
| Seattle's division supremacy. | | | | stark, and Linehan is finding that out. After |
| | | | the Carolina game, most thought that the Rams |
| However, as we move into the second half of | | | | simply looked flat and uninspired. When asked |
| the season, the Rams have fallen off a bit. | | | | about it after the game, several players |
| They're currently in third place in their | | | | all-but called out their coach after he |
| division behind the improving San Francisco | | | | admitted that the team was flat. |
| 49ers, and they're running out of time if | | | | |
| they want to make a run at the playoffs. They | | | | St. Louis Rams tickets have provided an |
| still have a bright new coach, so what's | | | | all-but guaranteed fireworks show in recent |
| happening with the Rams? We'll explore a few | | | | years, but Linehan's team isn't putting the |
| possible reasons for their struggles below. | | | | same attitude into offense, and his defense |
| | | | is getting trampled. Linehan will figure |
| Run Defense | | | | things out and continue to grow into a |
| | | | top-flight coach, but like any other |
| The Rams have been known to have an | | | | "rookie," he's still learning the nuances of |
| average-at-best defense in recent years, as | | | | leading a team. If he doesn't figure that |
| their offense has for a long time been the | | | | out, he'll risk losing his veterans, but it's |
| core of the team's identity. That was | | | | not too late to rectify the situation. |
| supposed to change under new defensive | | | | |
| coordinator Jim Fassell, late of the New | | | | Offensive Line |
| Orleans Saints, who has long been known for | | | | |
| his stout, physical defensive teams and | | | | The Rams have a good offensive line when it's |
| schemes. | | | | at full-strength, but it won't be firing on |
| | | | all cylinders for the rest of the season, as |
| The Rams' defense was strong for the first | | | | star LT Orlando Pace is out for the year. No |
| month-or-so of the season, but since their | | | | unit can simply move on at the same level |
| free-fall began, they've been getting gashed, | | | | when it loses its best player, and yesterday |
| particularly on the ground. In yesterday's | | | | was the first tangible evidence that the Rams |
| 15-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Rams | | | | will miss Pace in a big way. QB Marc Bulger |
| surrendered 242 rushing yards, and that will | | | | was sacked seven times and RB Steven Jackson |
| get you beat almost every time. You can't win | | | | carried the ball only seven times. The Rams |
| in the NFL if you can't stop the run, and | | | | mustered all of 111 yards of offense, which |
| Fassell and the Rams need to get that fixed | | | | is never good enough to win. |
| right away. | | | | |
| | | | Overall, the Rams still have time to right |
| Coaching Learning Curve | | | | the ship. They need to find their spark, and |
| | | | perhaps a string of home games coming up on |
| Scott Linehan came to the Rams known as an | | | | their schedule will help them get back on |
| up-and-coming coaching star who had built | | | | track. One thing is sure - St. Louis Rams |
| successful offenses in both Minnesota and | | | | tickets will provide fans with a |
| Miami. His knowledge and teaching ability | | | | highly-entertaining show for the rest of the |
| made players such as Daunte Culpepper better, | | | | season as the Rams attempt to keep up with |
| and his offenses always scored a lot of | | | | the rest of the division. |