Its not their fault, but Bulger and Haslett need to go.

[AvengerRam]

For two weeks and three quarters of football, there was a glimmer of hope. The Rams beat two quality teams and lead at New England.

Since then, the team has reverted back to the heartless and hopeless quality of play that lead to the 0-4 start of the season.

There are some young players showing that they can be a part of the Rams' future, but this team as a whole has no future. Major changes are necessary if this team is going to turn around its culture, its fortunes and its reputation.

This sort of change has to come from the top. In the NFL, that generally means (1) Head Coach and (2) Quarterback. They are the presumptive leaders of the team, like it or not.

In Jim Haslett's case, the need for change does not mean he has not made a good effort. Quite obviously, he took over a train wreck. The fact that he was able to put the team "on the rails" as long as he did is admirable, but its not enough.

In Marc Bulger's case, there is no way to make a fair assessment. I have no doubt that his skills and his performance has greatly diminished from his Pro Bowl years. But to even suggest that any QB could succeed in system Marc has found himself in in recent seasons is absurd. There is not a QB in the league who can survive what March has endured. Indeed, far more talented QBs have had their entire careers ruined in similar circumstances.

In the end, both will have to go. In Haslett's case, that means he should not be invited back for 2009. In Bulger's case, it means that he should, at best, be a mere temporary placeholder for the Rams' next "QB of the future."

Those two changes alone will not solve the problems. The Rams need to rebuild the offensive line, improve depth at RB, add size in the middle of the defense (NT, MLB, SS), and improve their pass rush. Moving on from Bulger and Haslett, though, will signal a changing of the guard and new leadership.

When it comes down to it, the margin of talent from the top to the bottom of the NFL is much smaller than people realize. How else (giving just a single example) could a Dolphin team that one a single game last year blow out a Patriot team that went 16-0 last year? A few changes, a few injuries... yes, that's a big part of it. But what really brings about change is a change in the overall team culture. Teams that believe they can win each week tend to win more games.

So, my advice is... don't blame Haslett, and don't blame Bulger.

But replace them both anyway.

[makersncoke]

Agree totally with you AV, leadership, veteran leadership helps teams through tough times like this. Marc should not shoulder the blame for the performance of the offense but he does have to take the majority of the load due to the position he plays. Same can be said for Haslett, Saunders may not have the best play selection but in the end it is Haslett's butt that's on the line for the performance of this team. I think what has happened is that the veterans on this team have not endured real hard times until several years ago. There were bumps in the road but for the most part Pace, Holt and Bulger have had pretty successful years as Rams. Case in point would be Holt, the guy is a non-factor on the field, some could say he draws the tougher coverage but a player of his caliber should be able to overcome that, which leads me to believe that his attitude is not that of a leader but a person who is good when times are good and pouts when thing don't go his way. I think the same could be said for the other two also. This team needs a complete overhaul and I'm with you that the coach and qb should be where they start, but not finish.

[faulkemall]

verry well put

[NJ Ramsfan1]

Nicely written and well thought out. That said, it seems as if too many people are giving mulligans to Haslett and Bulger when in fact they share at least equal blame with everyone else around them for this horror show. Much of the success one achieves in football is dependent on others doing their jobs- the quarterback cannot be effective if the o-line stinks, the d-backs get exposed if the front 4 can't pressure the QB, and so forth. Nonetheless, Bulger has been terrible- his body language suggests a man mentally beaten and physically battered and he is incapable of overcoming the shortcomings of his line by carrying a team on his back. Antonio Pittman did a nice job yesterday of making SF respect the run and Bulger still turned the ball over three times at the most critical moments possible.

Sadly, he's the best we have. Trent Green is not the guy you want out there trying to plug the holes. He's a 38 year old guy with 9 concussions to his credit. Do you want him behind this line? And Brock Berlin? Please. He's 3rd string for a reason and not our QB of the future so what's the point?

Haslett promised these guys would be focused and would play hard- a status that lasted for 3 games. The last two efforts have been blowouts by embarrassing proportions (one of which I had the misfortune of actually wasting money to see in person). The entire coaching staff should be held accountable as well.

When you look at teams like the Jets, Dolphins and Ravens- 3 teams who were lousy last year, and see the success they've had this year, it makes you physically sick. Put their attitudes and desire next to those of the Rams and you see why they're successful and why we aren't. You can't convince me that these three teams all of a sudden became awesome- yes each made some changes, but they also are playing with focus and heart- traits the Rams sorely lack.

The good news is that bad teams can become good in a short period of time in the NFL. The bad news is we have so many shortcomings, I wouldn't know where to start frst.

[NJ Ramsfan1]

Bulger and Haslett share every bit as much blame as the other coaches and players on this team for the pitiful weekly performances and lackluster efforts put forth by the Rams each Sunday. When I look at teams like the Jets, Dolphins, Ravens and Falcons- pitiful teams last year who are playing great football (in the cases of the Ravens and Falcons with rookie QB's) and then compare them to the Rams' rotten output each Sunday, I want to vomit. The blame for this nightmare season in which the Rams have underachieved, shown little heart, and demonstrated they might be one of the softest teams in the history of modern professional football can be spread around evenly.

Don't give me this offensive line crap, either. Yes, they've been poor. But you know what you do if you're an upper echelon QB in this league? You overcome that. You run the football successfully. You improvise on offense. You keep defenses honest by devising blocking schemes that best mask your offensive linemen's weaknesses. Bulger has demonstrated he is incapable of carrying a team on his back when needed. His body language and on field demeanor suggest a mentally beaten individual. His performance yesterday, despite the decent yardage stats was dreadful yet again- continuing his alarming propensity for turnovers at the worst possible time.

And Haslett's proclamation that this team would play hard and with pride lasted all of three games. The Rams' performance in games the past two weeks (one of which I wasted money to see at the Meadowlands) has been a national embarrassment. Jim Haslett, in my opinion, is not the right man for this job. He gave them a tongue lashing on Monday; they responded with a 35-3 halftime deficit against a divisional team who was 2-7. 'Nuff said.