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2008 St. Louis Rams NFL Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

Can the Rams rebound from a 3-13 2007 season to compete for a NFC West Division title? Jimmy Boyd provides his NFL season predictions in his 2008 St. Louis Rams season preview.

Offense

QB Marc Bulger got paid by St. Louis following a 24-touchdown, 4,301-yard 2006. Signing a huge contract before the 2007 season turned out to be a recipe for disaster. He suffered broken ribs in week two and his game fell apart along with the offensive line. He completed under 60 percent of his passes and has four more interceptions than he did touchdowns. Bulger has been consistently good during his career and I expect him to rebound from a rough 2007.

Stephen Jackson was arguably the best running back in football in 2006, leading the league in yards from scrimmage with 2,334. He totaled just 1,273 last season while missing five games. Jackson will be healthy again in 2008 and ready to run wild in the final year of his contract.

Isaac Bruce has been a mainstay at the wide receiver spot for the Rams, but he was released last February and quickly snatched up by division rival San Francisco. Torry Holt and Drew Bennett remain as the number one and number two options. Rookie speedsters Donni Avery and Keenan Burton will compete for time at the number three and number four wide out spots.

The offensive line must remain healthy or we could see a flashback to last season. Three key starters return from injuries including tackle Orlando Pace.

Defense

Left defensive end Leonard Little returns following off-season toe surgery. Little had just one sack in 2007. James Hall and first-round draft pick Chris Long will share time at right end with Long expected to be the starter. The Rams’ ends came up with just 5.5 sacks in 2007 so it came as no surprise when they made Long their first choice.

Middle linebacker Will Witherspoon is coming off of a spectacular season in which he deserved Pro Bowl recognition. He totaled 132 tackles, seven sacks, and nine more QB hurries. Pisa Tinoisamoa will man the weak side and Chris Draft and Quinton Culberson will compete for the strong side job.

The secondary was decimated by injuries last season as well. Starting corners Fakhir Brown and Tye Hill missed 12 games combined. At free safety, Oshiomogho Atogwe had a breakout season, leading the NFC with eight interceptions. Strong Safety Corey Chavous is still solid as a rock but the Rams need to get someone waiting in the wings to replace the 32-year-old at some point. Here’s some food for thought. The Rams were 3-3 when their starting secondary was intact last season and 0-10 when someone was missing for injury of suspension.

Special Teams

As soon as Josh Wilkins announced his retirement, the Rams moved quickly to nab Seattle kicker Josh Brown. Brown has a more powerful leg than Wilkins so he will be an improvement on kickoffs. Donnie Jones gave the Rams the best punting they have had in years, but he also got plenty of practice.

Prediction – Tie for 2nd in NFC West

In a tight division, I like the Rams to edge out the Cards and tie with the 49ers in the West. Health was the biggest problem for this team in 2007 and there’s no way they can be plagued with as many injures this season. Stephen Jackson and Marc Bulger will be one of the more dominant backfields in the NFL again.

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