Linehan likes what he sees from Rams offense

***RamFan_Til_I_Die*** · -08-18-2008

Linehan likes what he sees from Rams offense
He isn't frustrated by lack of scoring
BY STEVE KORTE
News-Democrat

ST. LOUIS --Though they were shut out in the first half, St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan thought his starting offense made progress during a 7-6 preseason win over the San Diego Chargers on Saturday.

"I think you see the development of the attitude of our team, our ability to run and protect up front," Linehan said Sunday. "There is a lot of positives you can draw from, in what is going to be a really good offense at the end of the day.

"Right now, we are not playing as well from a statistical standpoint and an execution standpoint as we plan on playing."

Linehan said he wasn't frustrated by the fact that his starting offense has not scored a touchdown in the preseason during his tenure. The streak stretches back 10 games through 2006.

"To me, it would be frustrating if we would have gone out and acted like we were frustrated, or we didn't get better or improve," Linehan said. "To me, our approach and how we kept playing as a group was more important than the stat of not scoring in the preseason. We scored in the opening drive of the opening game last season after not scoring in the preseason.

"You know you are working toward that, and we put ourselves in a lot better position this week to do it."

Linehan pointed to what he called "hidden statistical information" like the fact the Rams gained almost 200 yards (193 to be exact) and rushed for almost 120 yards (119 to be exact) in the first half against the Chargers as proof of improvement by the offense from the previous week's 34-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Quarterback Marc Bulger's two interceptions and the offense's inability to move the ball in the end zone on four plays after having a first-and-goal at the San Diego 3 might have trumped some of those other statistics.

In two preseason games, Bulger has completed 10 of 23 passes for 85 yards. He's been intercepted three times.

"Marc is making a lot of progress," Linehan said. "It's a new system and we have some new players and all of those things, and as soon as we get our timing down, he is going to continue to play winning football for us. Right now, we've been a little off on a couple of plays. He's had two tipped interceptions and that kind of thing.

"This is a precision game, and with the offensive timing, you have to be right on. We have just been off a couple of clicks. I have no concerns at all that it will start coming around."

Bulger's two interceptions produced more yards for the Chargers with 69 return yards than his 10 completions to his own receivers.

"Nights like this are not acceptable for whatever reason," Bulger said. "There are a million reasons that I could tell you for why things happened, but this a bottom-line business."

Bulger vowed to work his way out of the slump.

"What I've learned in trying to get through these little ruts is to keep throwing," Bulger said. "I promise you, if I would have come out in the second half, I would have kept throwing.

"I might have had 10 picks, but I would have kept throwing it down field."

Linehan said he won't use holdout running back Steven Jackson's absence as an excuse for the starting offense's inability to put up points in the preseason.

"That's the situation we are in," Linehan said. "I factor in the fact that (Antonio) Pittman ran so much better this week than he did a week ago. I thought Brian Leonard saw things better. And, I thought the offensive line blocked more physical.

"There are going to be times where Steven Jackson misses a series or two, or a half. That's the way it works. We have to focus on the next group that is in there. It was much better."

The Rams rushed for 183 yards against the Chargers with Pittman gaining 67 yards on nine carries, Travis Minor gaining 39 yards on 11 carries and Leonard gaining 38 yards on eight carries.

With their regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles just three weeks away, the concern is whether Jackson will have enough time to get himself ready to carry a full workload in the opener, even if he reports soon.

"You have to have a plan for how you get him ready for the opening game at this point, but there is still a lot of time," Linehan said. "He got in a lot of good work in the offseason, and he has a good grasp of what we are doing offensively.

"It's just a matter of getting him in that football shape. It is getting critical to where time now becomes more of an issue for just the physical part of the opener."

Linehan said he has been "staying in touch" with the AWOL running back via text messaging.

**HUbison** · -08-18-2008

"Right now, we are not playing as well from a statistical standpoint and an execution standpoint as we plan on playing."

Coach, I'm rooting for you. I want you to succeed. And Heaven knows I'm marinating in perspective sauce all the chicken littles that I can, but dude........if it ain't "statistical" or "execution", there ain't many "standpoint"s left!