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Rams are the new Lions
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers scores on a four-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter Sunday against the Rams at the Edward Jones Dome (By Chris Lee/P-D)BY JIM THOMAS
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/28/2009
Welcome to St. Louis, the Land of the Lost when it comes to professional football.
With Detroit's 19-14 victory Sunday over Washington, the Lions snapped their league-high 19-game losing streak. The NFL's longest streak of futility now belongs to the Rams following Sunday's 36-17 loss to Green Bay at the Edward Jones Dome.
With their latest pratfall, the Rams have lost 13 consecutive games, with an 0-3 start this season coupled with a 10-game losing streak to finish 2008.
"It's been tough sledding for us," offensive guard Richie Incognito said. "We're in a losing funk right now. Penalties early; turnovers; that's all balled up in the losing funk. And we've really got to shake that."
What they're trying to shake has mushroomed into a franchise-record losing streak. In the 72 years of Rams football, the team had never lost 13 games in a row until now. The previous record of 12 straight defeats was set by the Rams in 1937 and '38, tied in 1959-60 and tied again until Sunday's unlucky 13th.
"This team is totally different than it was last year," defensive end Leonard Little insisted. "We've got some of the same people that we had last year, but it's a different attitude. This attitude's going to take us a long way in the long run because we've got guys that give effort, go out there and lay it on the line. We're going to start getting wins because of that."
If those victories come in the near term, like next week in San Francisco, it almost certainly will have to happen without several of the team's starters. Quarterback Marc Bulger (shoulder) and safety James Butler (left knee) were sidelined in the first quarter with injuries.
"There's some significance to those injuries," coach Steve Spagnuolo said.
League sources later told the Post-Dispatch that Bulger has a rotator cuff injury in his throwing shoulder. He will have additional testing today, and if it's a torn rotator cuff, the injury could end his season.
Late in the second quarter, the Rams lost their top receiver, Laurent Robinson, with what looks like a substantial right ankle injury. (Robinson was on crutches after the game.) The team's other starting wide receiver, struggling Donnie Avery, suffered an injury to his ribs late in the fourth quarter.
"It's a struggle when guys get hurt, especially early in the game," Spagnuolo said.
Bulger suffered his injury with just over 4 minutes to play in the first quarter when he was sacked by Packers linebacker Aaron Kampman, who got around right tackle Adam Goldberg. In the process, Bulger lost a fumble that led to the second of three field goals by Mason Crosby, helping the Packers jump to a 16-0 lead.
Bulger was examined by the Rams' medical staff after that play but came out for the next series. After just one play — a handoff to Steven Jackson that resulted in another lost fumble — Bulger landed on the shoulder diving for the loose football. Thus ended his day.
"I just tried to go," Bulger said. "I thought I could make it. ... but I went in and just reaggravated it. If I could've stayed out there, I would've."
Enter backup Kyle Boller, who had spent the entire practice week impersonating Packers QB Aaron Rodgers with the Rams' scout team. Boller didn't take a single practice rep with the regular offense all week.
But after misfiring on his first three passes, Boller caught fire, completing eight of his next 10 for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Both TD strikes came to backup tight end Daniel Fells, a third-year player who had only eight career catches and no TDs before Sunday.
When Josh Brown finally connected on his first field goal of the season, a 53-yarder with 8 minutes, 23 seconds left in the third quarter, it was suddenly a game with Green Bay leading 23-17.
After some rough moments early, the offensive line had regrouped and was opening holes for Jackson in the running game despite a stacked Packers front that included three linemen and five linebackers in their base defense. (Former Rams linebacker Brandon Chillar replaced one of the Green Bay safeties in this look.)
Boller scrambled for a couple of rushing first downs and even threw a fairly violent block on Packers cornerback Charles Woodson on a Jackson run. All of which got the sellout crowd into it at the dome. Despite the presence of several thousand Green Bay fans, this wasn't Lambeau South, as was the case here in 2007.
"As long as we stayed within one touchdown away, I felt we had a good chance of winning the game," said Jackson, who posted his second straight 100-yard rushing game with 27 carries for 117 yards. "They rallied back when we were within striking distance."
That they did. A 53-yard completion from Rodgers to Greg Jennings on the first play of the fourth quarter put the Packers in the red zone. Four plays later, Rodgers scrambled into the end zone for a 4-yard TD and a 29-17 lead. (Crosby missed the extra point.)
After his scintillating second quarter, Boller tumbled back to earth. He completed only eight of 18 passes for 64 yards in the second half. One of his errant throws, made under pressure, was intercepted by Woodson at the Rams' 26 with 6:12 to play. It set up Green Bay's final touchdown and kept the Rams winless since Oct. 19 of last season.
"We're going to keep chopping wood and we'll get a win," Incognito said.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers scores on a four-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter Sunday against the Rams at the Edward Jones Dome (By Chris Lee/P-D)BY JIM THOMAS
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/28/2009
Welcome to St. Louis, the Land of the Lost when it comes to professional football.
With Detroit's 19-14 victory Sunday over Washington, the Lions snapped their league-high 19-game losing streak. The NFL's longest streak of futility now belongs to the Rams following Sunday's 36-17 loss to Green Bay at the Edward Jones Dome.
With their latest pratfall, the Rams have lost 13 consecutive games, with an 0-3 start this season coupled with a 10-game losing streak to finish 2008.
"It's been tough sledding for us," offensive guard Richie Incognito said. "We're in a losing funk right now. Penalties early; turnovers; that's all balled up in the losing funk. And we've really got to shake that."
What they're trying to shake has mushroomed into a franchise-record losing streak. In the 72 years of Rams football, the team had never lost 13 games in a row until now. The previous record of 12 straight defeats was set by the Rams in 1937 and '38, tied in 1959-60 and tied again until Sunday's unlucky 13th.
"This team is totally different than it was last year," defensive end Leonard Little insisted. "We've got some of the same people that we had last year, but it's a different attitude. This attitude's going to take us a long way in the long run because we've got guys that give effort, go out there and lay it on the line. We're going to start getting wins because of that."
If those victories come in the near term, like next week in San Francisco, it almost certainly will have to happen without several of the team's starters. Quarterback Marc Bulger (shoulder) and safety James Butler (left knee) were sidelined in the first quarter with injuries.
"There's some significance to those injuries," coach Steve Spagnuolo said.
League sources later told the Post-Dispatch that Bulger has a rotator cuff injury in his throwing shoulder. He will have additional testing today, and if it's a torn rotator cuff, the injury could end his season.
Late in the second quarter, the Rams lost their top receiver, Laurent Robinson, with what looks like a substantial right ankle injury. (Robinson was on crutches after the game.) The team's other starting wide receiver, struggling Donnie Avery, suffered an injury to his ribs late in the fourth quarter.
"It's a struggle when guys get hurt, especially early in the game," Spagnuolo said.
Bulger suffered his injury with just over 4 minutes to play in the first quarter when he was sacked by Packers linebacker Aaron Kampman, who got around right tackle Adam Goldberg. In the process, Bulger lost a fumble that led to the second of three field goals by Mason Crosby, helping the Packers jump to a 16-0 lead.
Bulger was examined by the Rams' medical staff after that play but came out for the next series. After just one play — a handoff to Steven Jackson that resulted in another lost fumble — Bulger landed on the shoulder diving for the loose football. Thus ended his day.
"I just tried to go," Bulger said. "I thought I could make it. ... but I went in and just reaggravated it. If I could've stayed out there, I would've."
Enter backup Kyle Boller, who had spent the entire practice week impersonating Packers QB Aaron Rodgers with the Rams' scout team. Boller didn't take a single practice rep with the regular offense all week.
But after misfiring on his first three passes, Boller caught fire, completing eight of his next 10 for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Both TD strikes came to backup tight end Daniel Fells, a third-year player who had only eight career catches and no TDs before Sunday.
When Josh Brown finally connected on his first field goal of the season, a 53-yarder with 8 minutes, 23 seconds left in the third quarter, it was suddenly a game with Green Bay leading 23-17.
After some rough moments early, the offensive line had regrouped and was opening holes for Jackson in the running game despite a stacked Packers front that included three linemen and five linebackers in their base defense. (Former Rams linebacker Brandon Chillar replaced one of the Green Bay safeties in this look.)
Boller scrambled for a couple of rushing first downs and even threw a fairly violent block on Packers cornerback Charles Woodson on a Jackson run. All of which got the sellout crowd into it at the dome. Despite the presence of several thousand Green Bay fans, this wasn't Lambeau South, as was the case here in 2007.
"As long as we stayed within one touchdown away, I felt we had a good chance of winning the game," said Jackson, who posted his second straight 100-yard rushing game with 27 carries for 117 yards. "They rallied back when we were within striking distance."
That they did. A 53-yard completion from Rodgers to Greg Jennings on the first play of the fourth quarter put the Packers in the red zone. Four plays later, Rodgers scrambled into the end zone for a 4-yard TD and a 29-17 lead. (Crosby missed the extra point.)
After his scintillating second quarter, Boller tumbled back to earth. He completed only eight of 18 passes for 64 yards in the second half. One of his errant throws, made under pressure, was intercepted by Woodson at the Rams' 26 with 6:12 to play. It set up Green Bay's final touchdown and kept the Rams winless since Oct. 19 of last season.
"We're going to keep chopping wood and we'll get a win," Incognito said.
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