2009 St. Louis Rams NFL Predictions

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rams 81209Things have been a nightmare in St. Louis over the past two seasons with the Rams winning just three games in 2007 and only two games in 2008. The organization is hoping that change can breed improvement by hiring new head coach Steve Spagnuolo and adopting his run-first scheme. Do the Rams have what it takes to get out of the division basement in year one of a new regime or will this rebuilding year mean another last place finish for the Rams? Get my prediction in this 2009 NFL betting preview. NFL odds makers have listed the St. Louis Rams’ regular season wins over/under at 5.5 wins.

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Offense – Marc Bulger has had some good seasons for the Rams, but his days could be numbered if he doesn’t produce in 2009. It was injuries in 2007 and in 2008 he was hurt by the absence of running back Stephen Jackson and an inexperienced receiving corps. Bulger has typically posted passer ratings in the 90s, but his ratings have been just 70.3 and 71.4 the past two seasons. Kyle Boller has been brought in to act as the backup. Stephen Jackson in an elite tailback when healthy, but good health has been hard to come by for him each of the past two seasons. If he can stay healthy, he should put up strong numbers and that will boost the Rams’ win total. The addition of fullback Mike Karney should help Jackson succeed as well. Torry Holt is gone and that leaves the wide receiver unit largely unproven. Donnie Avery should emerge as the team’s new no. 1 following a season in which he caught 53 balls for 674 yards and three scores. Look for Keenan Burton to be the no. 2 and for tight end Randy McMichael to play a big role as a receiver in the West Coast offense. Offensive line anchor Orlando Pace will be playing in Chicago this season. The team drafted Jason Smith with the no. 2 overall pick in the draft to be the left tackle of the future. He will likely play right tackle initially with Alex Barron moving over to left. Despite the loss of Pace, center Jason Brown will combine with the two aforementioned tackles and likely guards Jacob Bell and Richie Incognito to form a respectable unit.

Defense – Leonard Little may be 35, but he continues to be an effective pass rusher when healthy. Not having him on the field enough has hurt this team each of the past two seasons. To preserve his health, he could be more of a situational rusher in 2009. 2008 no. 2 overall draft pick Chris Long, Victor Adeyanju, and James Hall will play the defensive end spots as well. The pass rush could be respectable, but the interior of the line looks like a weak spot. The Rams drafted Ohio State linebacker James Laurinitis in the second round and they are counting on him being able to step in and play middle linebacker. He is expected to be flanked by Chris Draft and Will Witherspoon. The secondary has some solid players in cornerback Ron Bartell and safety Atogwe Oshiomogho. Oshiomogho is coming off an incredible year in which he picked off five passes and forced eight fumbles.

Prediction: 4th NFC WestI have the Rams pegged last in my NFC West predictions.  If the Rams are blessed with good health this season, they will be better, but likely not improved enough to get out of the West basement. With a new coaching staff working to put their fingerprints on the team an adjustment period is inevitable. The St. Louis Rams are listed at +1,100 to win the NFC West Division.

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About the Author: Jimmy Boyd is known for his consistency. He's a proven winner in college and pro football, college and pro basketball and pro baseball. He finished as the No. 1 ranked MLB handicapper in 2007 by earning $1,000/game bettors $50,050. He also finished as the No. 1 ranked basketball handicapper in the 2008-09 season, profiting $1,000/game bettors 38,530. His basketball plays have banked $1,000/game bettors nearly $80,000 the last five years. Check out Jimmy's premium picks for tonight!
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