ST. LOUIS RAMS 2008 Schedule

[laram0]

I think we can all agree that our RAMS have alot of unanswered questions going into the 2008 season. I also think we can all agree that most of those questions are health related. I also feel that "potential" is another area full of questions. Are players like Alex Barron, Richie Incognito, Tye Hill and the rookies we drafted going to live up to whatever potential they supposedly have? What about Drew Bennett and Randy McMichael? Are they going to make the splash on our offense that we have been expecting? Now in is 3rd season with our team will Jim Haslett be able to get our defense straightened out?

As we all know our team finished the 2007 season with a (3-13) record. We can only guess what our won/loss record would have been if our team could have stayed reasonably (NFL) healthy. My guess is that we would have been at least (7-9) but really I was expecting (9-7). So for arguments sake or lack thereof let's say we stayed reasonably healthy and finished the 2007 season at (8-8)

Taking the (8-8) record from the 2006 season into consideration our 2008 schedule doesn't look as overwhelming, compared to the (3-13) team we were in 2007.

2008 schedule at a glance:

GAME 1
@ Philadelphia (8-8, 2007)

The Eagles have as many questions concerning their team as we do. Donovan McNabb has already been shut down to rest his tendinitis shoulder.
Although they have one of the most versatile runningbacks in the NFL, their wide receivers don't scare me one iota. Even though this is a road game I like our chances to come away with a victory.

GAME 2
vs. New York Giants (10-6, 2007)

Their cinderella run is over. (Thanks a ton for beating the PATS!) It's a new season. The ultimate team leader Michael Strahan has retired. Because we are playing this game at home I give us 50/50 chance in this one.

GAME 3
@ Seattle (10-6, 2007)

The Seahawks will find a way to win this game. Or maybe just maybe some guy named Josh Brown will kick a last second field goal to put us over the top? I can dream can't I?

GAME 4
vs. Buffalo (7-9, 2007)

Even though we will have the home field advantage in this game. I'm expecting a very tight one. The Bills have very good special teams and that seems to be a weak spot for us. At least it was the last 2 seasons. Josh Brown to the rescue?

GAME 5
@ Washington (9-7, 2007)

Joe Gibbs is gone. Another of the nail biter road games that is winnable.

GAME 6
vs. Dallas (13-3, 2007)

We were blown out last season by the Cowboys at Dallas. We probably lose this game but keep it respectable.

GAME 7
@ New England (16-0, 2007)

I would love to type that the mighty have fallen off their game but that's just a dream of mine. This could be our ugliest/worst game of the season. The good news is that the game will be played on October 26th, so it won't be frigid outside.

GAME 8
vs. Arizona (8-8, 2007)

The Cardinals swept us last season. It's payback time, especially if Warner is riding the pine.

GAME 9
@ New York Jets (4-12, 2007)

4-12? Enough said. The RAMS 2008 season starts to round the .500 corner.

GAME 10
@ San Francisco (5-11, 2007)

We should have swept the Whiners last season. We will this season!

GAME 11
vs. Chicago (7-9, 2007)

Contain Devin Hester, contain Devin Hester, contain Devin Hester. We win!

GAME 12
vs. Miami (1-15, 2007)

Rams blow-out! The Big Tuna goes down!

GAME 13
@ Arizona (8-8, 2007)

Warner still not starting? We win a close one and sweep the season series. How do you like us now Cardinal fans?

GAME 14
vs. Seattle (10-6, 2007)

We should have beat the Seahawks at our house last season. (Thanks Gus Frerotte!) We will in 2008.

GAME 15
vs. San Francisco (5-11, 2007)

Mike Martz still has a ton of work to do. Sorry IKE.

GAME 16
@ Atlanta (4-12, 2007)

I don't care where this game is played. We will manhandle the Dirty Birds!

RECAP:

I'm predicting our record to be around (3-5) at the end of the first half of the 2008 season. The second half we take off. Something like (6-2) or maybe even (7-1). Playoffs for sure, possibly winners of the NFC WEST.

[DistantRam]

Nice read, laram0.

I share your optimism: we will probably get hammered by the Cheatriots and Cowboys but all the other games are winnable. That doesn't mean that we'll go 14-2 but it does mean that we've got every chance of going 9-7 or better and sneaking into the playoffs.

[Kramerica04]

hmmmm, I agree with you about forgetting about the 2007 season. In 2006 we won our last coupleof games, established the run against some good defenses, and pulled right back to within .500. At the time I thought Scott Linehan and the Rams turned a corner. I was excited because they were no longer wasting time outs, they showed a commitment to defense and special teams and were playing more a "normal" (balanced rather then live and die by how your offense scores) type football. Bulger and Jackson were both in top form. Then in the offseason we signed Bennett and the two Halls and I thought hey we should be better. Then came the injuries. I want to give Linehan a fair chance because of the injuries...especially since he has shown a commitment by stepping back, taking more of a CEO role (which is good because head coaches can't just coach one part of the team they are in charge of all of it), hiring Al Saunders, ect. But I still have a few concerns and don't share your optimism. Here are my concerns (post last nights preseason game against the Chargers):

1. Bulger looks horrible. I know its preseason but the guy looks like he doesn't care. Bulger needs to be the leader of this team. Throwing two interceptions against the second stringers on San Diego is pathetic and inexcusable. He looks like he is throwing of of his back foot and running around like a chicken with his head cut off...and to me, it looks like he doesn't want to be out there...I don't know if its his fault or Linehans. I also though not scoring on the four in four downs was inexcusable, although we didn't have Jackson and probably would have scored had we had him. There were several times when Bulger was throwing to a different spot then his recievers (Bennett and McMichael imparticular). I don't know if this was his fault or the recievers running to the wrong spot but it needs to be fixed.

2. Drew Bennet. I don't know if he or Bulger is in the wrong because I don't know the playbook but Bulger and Bennett aren't on the same page and it needs to be fixed. Drew Bennett also dropped several balls and that needs to be fixed. There are times he makes a spactacular catch, and other times he drops passes he should catch...maybe I'm used to hall of famers in Bruce and Holt.

3. Steven Jackson...come back home to camp...you are in the wrong and went about your hold out in a moronnic way. End it...the Rams will pay you.

4. Scott Linehan. He has never won a game against a coach with a winning record.

5. Left tackle. If Pace goes down we don't have much depth at tackle

6. Linebacker depth. Pisa always gets hurt, if he does draft is the only adequate backup.

7. Running back depth. If Jackson gets hurt we are screwed.

Along with the concerns I also have some positives.

1-2. Leonard Little looked in top form last night. The toe/heel injury he suffered hasn't slowed him down which is FANTASTIC news. Carriker, Long, and Ryan are all young and have nothing but upside. For the first time in a long time I'm happy with the direction of our defensive line (although Carriker and Long looked bad against Tennesse). Throw in Glover, Hall, and Adeyenju and I think we are solid. Although I, unlike others, don't expect huge things from Long this year. I'm more ready to watch Carriker.

3. Al Saunders. We are finally going to utilize the tight end, be balanced, and be run oriented which is going to win football games, reduce turnovers, and send a few people to the probowl.

4. Pace is back.....THANK GOD.

5. Our offensive line has good depth. Although Setterstrom got hurt, which sucks. I thought we started the year with great depth because we signed Bell and drafted two gaurds. It fueled competition at the O-line position which is nothing but positive. we have two players that can play at every position with the exception of tackle....although thats opinion...personally I don't want Adam Golhberg starting.

6. Culberson. I like letting him get the start at linebacker. I enjoy watching him. He is all over the field and we should be able to blitz more with him then we could with Chillar. I like the speed of Culberson, Witherspoon, and Pisa if he stays healthy.

I agree with your assessment of 9-7/.500ish. I think the beginning half of the schedule will be brutal. I wouldn't be suprised if we were 0-8....Philly (there secondary is awesome now that they signed Samuel), Seattle (solid all around team), Washington (tough place to play), New England (4 Superbowls), and the two New Yorks (Jets have signed a lot of players and Giants are returning sb champs with an obviously improved team and qb), are all tough games and 5 out of six of those games are on the road. You add Dallas in St. Louis who in theory should pound us. It looks for a tough first half. But when we get passed the first half, we should win our last eight games. If we can steal a couple in the beginning (Seattle, Buffalo, and Washington). We should be sitting pretty. I'm still pissed we haven't beat Seattle under Linehan. We have had the oppurtunity three out of the four times and our players have found a way to blow it. We better sweep the NFC West this year... I'm going to say 8-8 or 9-7 as well....assuming Pace, Holt, Little, Jackson and our linebackers stay healthy.

[PostalRam]

You know unless Ram fans , we won't get any respect from the outside. If it's getting hard for some Ram fans to see the light with the type schedule that hit us right off the back.

What I want and hoping for is going to be tough, but possible.

Coming out with a .500 record would be huge....

So let me tell you what I have been telling my friends in South Florida.

16-0 baby!!

[rNemesis]

I agree somewhat and disagree with the predictions. I must say here in the Bahamas its fun to watch football ( some of my coworkers are steeler fans, a couple of cowboy fans, a niners fan, and an eagles fan. ) !

1. Philadelphia- I think this game can go either way. Their secondary is pretty good but mcnabb doesnt scare me.
2. Giants- I dont know about this one. I dont feel very positive because of their SB status.
3.seahawks- it pisses me off too that we havent beaten this crappy ass team in a long time. Im tired of them and we need to beat them, but you know how all seahawk-ram games go; down to the last down!
4. redskins- this can go either way. 50/50 chance

we can beat the bills and dolphins, but the pats and jets are probably going to slew us because of brady and favre and the new signed jets. ( faneca, woody, favre) the cards blew us out in the final game of the season, we own the *****, and the falcons only have a young rookie QB to save their dead asses. GO RAMS !!