Rams Offense Gets Ready to Roll

[RamWraith]

Tuesday, September 4, 2007
By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer

To the rest of the NFL, the Carolina Panthers finished the 2006 season with the league’s seventh best defense.

But to the Rams and coach Scott Linehan, that defense was even better than its top 10 finish would indicate. And that will make preparation for Sunday’s season opener against Carolina that much more intense.

“They were number one against us,” Linehan said. “I don’t know what they were in the league. If you were going to ask me who I thought the best defense was last year, I would have said them. We have a big challenge ahead and it won’t be hard to get the attention of our offensive players. We’ll be watching a lot more of last year’s film, unfortunately. It will also be good for us.”

It’s no surprise that Linehan would be apprehensive about having to watch the film from the teams’ meeting on Nov. 19. In that contest in Charlotte, the Panthers completely shut down the Rams, holding them scoreless for the first time since 1998 and an anemic 111 yards of total offense.

That performance left Linehan searching for answers and the solution he found turned out to be one of his most important moves of the season. Essentially, Linehan fired himself as the play caller and turned the duties over the offensive coordinator Greg Olson.

Freed from play-calling responsibilities, Linehan was able to concentrate on all aspects of the game. Olson helped the offense get its groove back and by the end of the season, there was nary an offensive unit in the league running as smoothly as the Rams’.

After the team’s success to end the season, Olson comes into the 2007 season with play calling duties all to himself for the first time with the Rams.

“I prepared for it a year ago to be the play caller from Day One,” Olson said. “I think I am more comfortable with the offense, so that makes the job easier. I have always prepared since the day I got here and was named the coordinator…that I would eventually take that role over. I think this year with my familiarity now with the offense, it was easier. Over the summer I had time to think about it…I didn’t know that a year ago, but I did this season. Obviously that made the preparation that much easier.”

Olson’s added comfort and Linehan’s work as the team’s leader has promoted confidence in an offense that finished sixth in the NFL in 2006. That should provide an interesting and exciting matchup for this week’s regular-season opener against the Panthers.

While the Rams’ first team offense didn’t score any touchdowns in this preseason, much as it didn’t in last year’s exhibition season, Linehan and Olson are not concerned about the possibility of a slow start.

In last year’s season opener against Denver, the offense moved the ball well but couldn’t finish a drive with anything except for field goals. Jeff Wilkins booted six field goals in a Rams’ victory.

The preseason barometer is probably not the best to use to judge the offense. Obviously, the Rams struggled out of the gate last season with a new system and coaching staff in place, but still finished with a flourish on their way to being one of the league’s top offenses.

Even in the red zone, an area that provided cause for concern early in the season, the offense ranked among the top teams in the league by the end of the year.

In this preseason, there was no adjustment to a new system, but the Rams essentially didn’t use team MVP Steven Jackson and were purposefully bland with the offensive play calling.

Additionally, the first team offense had success moving into opponent’s territory, but again couldn’t quite finish drives without a turnover or bad penalty.

“Those two things, the turnovers and the penalties, we have to get cleaned up here between now and the opener,” Olson said. “I think it’s a whole different set of circumstances. There were different defenses we were playing. Every year it’s a different atmosphere.”

As the Rams prepare for the Panthers, who have one of the best defensive lines in the league, they have the advantage of having already faced some of the better groups around in the preseason.

The distance from Jamal Williams, Shawne Merriman, Kevin Williams and Pat Williams to Julius Peppers and Co. isn’t far. There’s no doubt that once again the Panthers will provide a stiff test for the Rams offense yet again.

“It’s our job to score points every time we take the field,” Olson said. “That’s always going to be our goal as we go throughout the season. Obviously there is nothing to hold back and there are all these games where there will be heavy preparation. I think you are going to see the Rams that you are expecting to see. I think you are going to see an exciting, up-tempo offense and I’ll be very disappointed, as will the rest of the team, if we are not scoring points and moving the ball up and down the field. I just don’t foresee that as being a problem.”

[laram0]

This maybe to old for alot of you, apply the tune from RAWHIDE. Rollin Rollin Rollin keep those RAMMIES Rollin.......CLANRAM!

[ramsanddodgers]

This maybe to old for alot of you, apply the tune from RAWHIDE. Rollin Rollin Rollin keep those RAMMIES Rollin.......CLANRAM!

I can see Rowdy Yates now.......

Rammin', rammin', rammin'

Keep movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them defenses movin' Rawhide!
Don't try to understand 'em,
Just block and throw and grab 'em,
Soon we'll be living high and wide.
Boy my heart's calculatin'
My Super Bowl Ring will be waitin', be waiting at the end of my ride.

Move 'em on, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em out,
Move 'em on, head 'em out Ram on!
Set 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in Ram on.

Full Lyrics

Rammin', rammin', rammin'
Rammin', rammin', rammin'
Rammin', rammin', rammin'
Rammin', rammin', rammin'
Ram on!

Rammin', rammin', rammin'
Though the refs are appallin'
Keep them defenses rollin'
Ram on!
Rain and wind and weather
Hell-bent for leather
All my tacklers pushed aside.
All the things I'm missin',
Rings, Trophies, and history',
Are waiting at the end of my ride

CHORUS
Move 'em on, head 'em up
Head 'em up, move 'em on
Move 'em on, head 'em up
Ram on!
Count 'em out, ride 'em in,
Ride 'em in, count 'em out,
Count 'em out, ride 'em in
Ram on!

Keep movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them defenses movin' Rawhide!
Don't try to understand 'em,
Just block and throw and grab 'em,
Soon we'll be living high and wide.
Boy my heart's calculatin'
My Super Bowl Ring will be waitin',


Ram on!
Ram on!

[RealRam]

Hey, are we READEEEEEE to RAM R-R-R-R-U-M-B-L-E !!!

To all our Rams Warriors:

S t r e n g t h -and- H o n o r ! :bash:

:r We who are about to cheer you into victory, salute you!

[Guam rammer]

DaaaaO!!...Daylight come an me wanna Delhome...