RamView, September 25, 2005
From Row HH
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Game 3: Rams 31, Titans 27

The Rams survive a terrible first quarter and four turnovers to outlast the Titans in a home opener complete with flashbacks to Super Bowl XXXIV and the “Music City Miracle,” trumped by a River City rally.

Position by position:
* QB: It’s not how you start, and actually, for Marc Bulger (21-28-292, 3 TD) it's not how you finish, either. Marc and the offense got off to a hideous start, with just five total yards in the first quarter. The Ram offense nearly collapsed under the offensive line's inability to block and Marc's tendency to hold on to the ball for, oh, ten minutes. After a 123-kick to start the game, Bulger was sacked twice the second series and threw a very stupid interception into triple coverage of Brandon Manumaleuna the next. After Bulger was sacked for the 14th time in 9 quarters at the end of the 1st, the Ram offense looked officially DOA, but the Ram defense brought it back to life, with big turnovers helping tie the game at 10. Marc finally engineered a quick TD drive near the end of the half to put the Rams up 17-10, and followed after halftime by hitting wide open Torry Holt to beat a blitz for 32 yards and a TD. Turnovers kept Tennessee in the game, as they turned two straight Ram turnovers into TDs, one a fumble that Bulger coughed up during a sack. By holding the ball too long, and not getting much good blocking, Marc took a beating reminiscent of last year's Miami or Atlanta playoff game. But with new RT Alex Barron in the game late in the 3rd, Marc finally got a comfortable pocket and was afforded several chances to pick on Tennessee's young DBs with passes to Torry Holt. After three straight completions to Torry got the Rams to the Titan 10, Bulger opened the 4th with a classic seeing-eye pass between two defenders and to Kevin Curtis just beyond the goal line for the TD that turned out to be the game-winner. That was Bulger's toughest pass of the day – not just because it was a difficult pass, but Marc had a rusher bearing in on him who would drill him into next week, hitting him late enough to draw a personal foul. The Curtis TD put the Rams back up 31-24, but unfortunately, Bulger let the Titans back in the game a couple of times, once on a bizarre play that was ruled a backward pass, and once by fumbling on his only scramble of the day with just 3:00 left. The defense limited the damage after the backward pass, though, and Barron fell on the fumble, so all was well. Marc Bulger is definitely living large so far this season. Big plays, big numbers, but also big hits and big mistakes. His season isn’t going to last much longer, though, let alone be a big success, if he doesn’t get better protection.

* RB: It’s easy to forget Steven Jackson (12-48) is still a young player and is still going to make mistakes of inexperience. I’m referring to...

RamView, September 11, 2005
From The Couch
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Game 1: ***** 28, Rams 25

The Rams open the 2005 season in the most unimaginable, embarrassing way possible and stake an early claim as the NFL's most disappointing team. The Martz Era just took a massive uppercut to its glass jaw.

Position by position:
* QB: Marc Bulger has been a good closer in the past, but not today, which was a big blemish on a big statistical day (34-56-362, 2 TD). The Rams turned the red zone into the "dread zone", settling for four FGs in four trips before converting for a TD late in the game. Whenever the Rams reached the dread zone, the whole offense fell apart. After a Tim Rattay fumble in the 1st, Bulger couldn't get the Rams in from the 11, hitting Torry Holt for only 1 against one of San Fran's persistent blitzes and throwing a 3rd-down incompletion. Bulger could beat the blitz as long as he wasn't in the dread zone. The second drive, Marc hit Holt for 15 to beat a blitz, but once in the dread zone, it's sack, deflected pass, end zone pass for Kevin Curtis batted away, FG. Bulger responded poorly with the Rams down 7-6 – a poor near-INT and a sack. Down 21-6 near halftime, Bulger leads the Rams into the dread zone with a spectacular 44-yard bomb to Holt and a 14-yarder to Shaun McDonald. The finish, though, is 4 to Holt, sack, short dumpoff to McDonald, FG. Down 28-9 after halftime, the Rams bog down in the dread zone for the fourth straight time. Bulger and Torry miss open connections in the end zone, and Bulger is sacked AGAIN the next play to force another FG. Bulger and Bruce connected for a pretty 32-yard TD to make it 28-18 (note: outside the dread zone). But Bulger is bad the next drive, ending it with three incompletions, one a near INT-TD, one a 3rd down pass into triple coverage. But down the stretch in the 4th, Marc looked ready to work some comeback magic. He slips a third down blitz to hit McDonald for almost 9 and converts the 4th down on a sneak. 15 more to McDonald, and after ANOTHER sack makes it 4th-and-9, a lovely sideline connection with McDonald for 20 more. In the dread zone again, Isaac Bruce gamely dives at the 5-yard line for a first down, and though Bulger struggles mightily, he hooks up with Brandon Manumaleuna for an easy TE screen TD on 4th down to make it 28-25. In the final minute, the choking ***** hand the Rams the ball at the 33, and all Bulger has to do is not screw up, but ack, his first throw is way behind Isaac, who flails at it one-handed, as Mike Adams pulls it in for a game-sealing interception. Bulger wasn't himself today. He held the ball too long on several sacks and made a lot of poor throws. He floundered in the dread zone and had two bad series in the 4th with the game on the line. The Rams really can't afford any slippage in Marc's play right now.

* RB: Steven Jackson (19-60) got off to a strong start....