 |
| (photo credit: ramsherd.com) |
In 2014, they had finished in the bottom third of the league
offensively: 21st in points, 28th in yards, 23rd in passing, 20th in rushing. They were almost perfectly average defensively: 17th in
points against, 17th in yards allowed, 19th in passing
yards allowed, 14th in rushing yards allowed.
They had a roster stocked with young talent. Rookie running
back Tre Mason had over 700 yards in just nine starts over the 12 games he played. second –year back Benny Cunningham was a reliable third-down
receiving threat, and a playmaker on kick returns.
Wide receiver Tavon Austin had a drop off in production in his second year, but continued to show terrific big-play potential. 23-year olds Alec Ogeltree (Linebacker) and T.J. McDonald (Safety) each had over 100 tackles. Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald (24 and 23, respectively) combined for 19.5 sacks. 22-year old rookie corner E.J. Gaines had 15 pass defenses. Productive youth abounded all over the roster for a team that finished last in the NFC West with a 6-10 record.
Wide receiver Tavon Austin had a drop off in production in his second year, but continued to show terrific big-play potential. 23-year olds Alec Ogeltree (Linebacker) and T.J. McDonald (Safety) each had over 100 tackles. Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald (24 and 23, respectively) combined for 19.5 sacks. 22-year old rookie corner E.J. Gaines had 15 pass defenses. Productive youth abounded all over the roster for a team that finished last in the NFC West with a 6-10 record.
The most glaring weakness for the Rams was at quarterback,
and they thought they had solved that problem by trading the oft-injured SamBradford to the Philadelphia Eagles for Nick Foles, who had a 6-2 record before
suffering a season-ending broken collarbone in the eighth game of the
season.
He did not turn out to be the offensive savior St. Louis had been hoping for. Struggles with accuracy and turnovers put him into a battle (that he eventually lost) with Case Keenum. Foles finished the season with just seven touchdowns and ten interceptions to go with a 56.4% completion percentage, good enough for third-worst in the league.
He did not turn out to be the offensive savior St. Louis had been hoping for. Struggles with accuracy and turnovers put him into a battle (that he eventually lost) with Case Keenum. Foles finished the season with just seven touchdowns and ten interceptions to go with a 56.4% completion percentage, good enough for third-worst in the league.
The two offensive bright spots St. Louis had in 2015 were
Austin and rookie running back Todd Gurley. Austin finished with over 900 yards
from scrimmage and nine offensive touchdowns (he tacked on a punt return touchdown
as well). After missing the first three games of the season, Gurley went on to
earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and a Pro Bowl appearance, averaging
85 yards per game and finding the end zone 10 times.
Defensively, the entire unit managed to give up a few less
points, but all other categories suffered slightly. However, Aaron Donald
managed to tally 11 more sacks to earn 1st-team All Pro and a second-consecutive Pro Bowl.
With only a few standout performances and struggles from the
quarterback position, it’s not surprising the Rams’ record improved by merely
one win.
Of their seven victories in 2015, four came within their division. The Rams swept the Seahawks and split their games with San Francisco and Arizona. St. Louis managed a 4-3 start before dropping five straight games to the Vikings, Bears, Ravens, Bengals and Cardinals, derailing any hopes they had at a playoff appearance. Three victories and an OT loss in San Francisco ended their season with promise heading into the 2016 season.
Of their seven victories in 2015, four came within their division. The Rams swept the Seahawks and split their games with San Francisco and Arizona. St. Louis managed a 4-3 start before dropping five straight games to the Vikings, Bears, Ravens, Bengals and Cardinals, derailing any hopes they had at a playoff appearance. Three victories and an OT loss in San Francisco ended their season with promise heading into the 2016 season.
No comments:
Post a Comment