2011 St. Louis Rams Predictions
The Rams took a major step forward in 2010. Their seven wins were one more than they had the previous three seasons combined, and they have quarterback Sam Bradford to thank.
The No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft made defenses respect the passing game, which took some of the pressure off running back Steven Jackson.
The defense also took a step forward as Chris Long, the No. 2 pick in the 2008 draft, emerged as a legit pass-rushing threat.
Offense: The Rams ranked 26th in the NFL in total offense in 2010 with 302.9 yards per game. They ranked 26th in scoring with 18.1 points per contest. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but they were a big improvement over the 279.4 yards and 10.9 points the Rams averaged per game in 2009.
Bradford showed poise beyond his years in his rookie season while completing 60.0 percent of his passes for 3,512 yards with 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His numbers look even more impressive when the mediocre receiving unit he was throwing to is considered.
Bradford will have more playmakers to work with this season now that Austin Pettis, Greg Salas and Lance Kendricks have been added via the draft and Mike Sims-Walker has been added via free agency. The Rams should also benefit from the return of Donnie Avery.
Danny Amendola emerged as Bradford’s favorite target in 2010. He led the teams with 85 receptions, 689 receiving yards and three touchdown catches.
Jackson is one of the premier running backs in the NFL. He is coming off his sixth-straight 1,000-yard rushing season, rushing for 1,241 yards and six scores last season.
Center Jason Brown anchors a line that played pretty well a year ago. Roger Saffold and Jason Smith were a nice pair at the tackle spots. They helped keep Bradford upright. The Rams tied for 14th in the league with 34 sacks allowed.
Defense: The St. Louis stop unit ranked 19th in the league in total defense last year with 336.8 yards allowed per game. It finished 12th in scoring defense with 20.5 points allowed per contest. The Rams showed huge improvement on this side of the ball as well. They allowed 372.8 yards and 27.2 points per game in 2009.
Long took a big step toward stardom in his third season. He finished second on the team with 8.5 sacks and helped the Rams rank seventh in the league with 43 team sacks. He also had 16 pressures and 21 quarterback hits. Now, that’s doing a little bit of damage.
James Hall was a beast on the other side and led the team with 10.5 sacks. With second-year players George Selvie and Eugene Sims and rookie Robert Quinn, the Rams are setting themselves up to have a consistent pass rush for years to come.
James Laurinaitis is quickly becoming one of the top middle linebackers in the game. He led the team with 129 tackles last year.
The Rams will miss team captain Oshiomogho Atogwe in the secondary, but they’re hoping veteran Al Harris can provide some leadership.
Prediction: 1st Place NFC West – The Rams took a big leap in 2010, and I expect the progress to continue. Bradford will benefit from having better players around him, and Long and company should once again bring the heat off the edge. The NFC West is wide open, but I give St. Louis, which was in it until the final game last season, the slight advantage. NFL odds makers have listed the Rams at +165 to win the NFC West.
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