Rams Team Report
Yahoo! Sports - Sep 15, 2:30 am EDT
New season, but it sure looked like the same old Rams after the team's ninth consecutive loss to the Seahawks Sunday. After the 28-0 defeat, the Rams have now been outscored 98-19 in their last three trips to Seattle, and since 2005 the Rams are 4-21 in division games.
The defense kept the Rams in the game Sunday with three early takeaways, but the offense stumbled along thanks mostly to penalties that constantly created down-and-distance problems.
The offensive woes included four false starts, several penalties that wiped out good gains and a woeful conversion rate of 2-for-12 on third down. Much of that was traced to a 10.7-yard average to go on third down.
Quarterback Marc Bulger noted how mistakes prevented the offense from establishing any rhythm.
Said Bulger, "We'd drive the ball and then shoot ourselves in the foot. There was holding or offsides or personal fouls. We have to find a way to get past that 30 and start handing the ball to Jack (running back Steven Jackson). He's too good of a player to not be able to use. That's on all of us."
On the Rams' 12 third-down plays, the average distance to go was 10.7 yards. The two they made were third-and-2 and third-and-6, the two shortest of the game. The 10 misses averaged 12 yards and included to-go distances of 11, 12, 14, 20 and 22 yards.
Overall, the Rams ran 57 plays, 22 of which were first-and-10. Of the other 35 plays, there were two of first-and-15, eight of second-and 10 or more (10, 10, 10, 12, 15, 15, 20, 20) and the five third-and-10 or more. On those 15 plays, the average yards to go was 14.3.
That means 15 of 35 plays (42.9 percent) were 10 yards to go or more.
Conversely, the Seahawks were 8 of 15 on third down, and were 7 of 11 before missing on three of their last four when the outcome was decided. On their third-down plays, the average to go was 5.0 yards, and they had no second- or third-down plays of longer than 10 yards.
Seattle had 30 first-and-10 plays. Of their other 40 plays, just eight (six second-and-10 plays and two third-and-10 plays) were 10 yards or more. That's 8 of 40 for 20 percent compared to the Rams' 42.9 percent.
Said coach Steve Spagnuolo, "You can't have the penalties, and that's a discipline thing, and that falls on the head coach. That's the second time that's happened, and in the preseason we had multiple penalties, and that's my fault. I'll work with the players, I know the players will work with me, and we'll try to get that ironed out. It's hard to win in this league without penalties, it's doubly hard when you do have them. It makes it tough".
NOTES & QUOTES
One of the costliest penalties came on special teams. In the final minute of the first half, defensive end C.J....
-09-15-2009, 08:53 PM
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