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Rams fall apart in second half

Posted September 08, 2007 11:00 pm

Hal Pilger

ST. LOUIS - After playing four meaningless preseason games, NFL teams kicked off the regular season in earnest Sunday and finally began to find out whether they just might be any better than they were a year ago.

Sunday, the St. Louis Rams - 8-8 a year ago - hosted the Carolina Panthers, also 8-8 last season. Those .500 records included Carolina's 15-0 home victory over the Rams.

Sunday's battle was only one game in a 16-game season. But by the end of a 27-13 Carolina win, it was tough for even the most optimistic spin doctors to find much - if any - improvement in the Rams.

The final margin of defeat was one point better for St. Louis, which scored more points in its opening touchdown drive Sunday than it did in the entire game at Carolina last November.

But quarterback Marc Bulger was a mediocre 22-for-42 for 167 yards and one touchdown with a passer rating of 70.2. Counterpart Jake Delhomme was 18-for-27 for 201 yards and three TDs.

And Rams' star running back Steven Jackson, who predicted an NFL-record 2,500 yards from scrimmage for himself this season after totaling a league-leading 2,334 last year, rushed 18 times for 58 yards and caught one pass for 3 yards. He also lost two crucial third-quarter fumbles that changed the complexion of the game for keeps. Jackson lost two fumbles in 346 carries last season. He lost one fumble.

Meanwhile, the Rams' defense, torched for 242 yards on the ground last fall, allowed "only" 186 on Sunday.

But that same defense yielded 387 net yards, including two touchdown passes to Drew Carter, who totaled all of three last season. And it permitted Steve Smith to catch seven Delhomme passes for 118 yards, including his 68-yard third-quarter touchdown romp that put Carolina ahead to stay 14-13 about halfway through the period.

Throw in injuries to All-Pro offensive tackle Orlando Pace (severe shoulder sprain) and linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa (ankle sprain) and there wasn't much for Rams fans to cheer about by the end of the game. So they started booing.

"I've never been around fans that boo that much, to be honest," said former Kansas City return man Dante Hall, who had one of the few Rams' highlights Sunday with his 84-yard kickoff return early in the third quarter to set up a field goal. But Hall would suffer leg cramps after that and was largely ineffective on ensuing returns.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of all was the fact that the Rams, ahead 13-7 early in the third quarter, did virtually nothing positive for the remainder of the second half - at home.

Jackson totaled 12 yards rushing on five carries in the second half, while Bulger was 12-for-24 for 101 yards, including 6-for-17 (64 yards and a 47.2 QB rating) in the fourth quarter, when 26 yards came on two meaningless last-minute completions.

"Obviously, for 2½ quarters we were in fairly good position," Rams coach Scott Linehan said, adding the two third-quarter turnovers "ended up being a big difference.

"Not the only difference - we still had things we could have done a lot better to ensure that we had the best chance to win."

Such as taking - and making - a few downfield shots. Bulger's longest completion was an 18-yard second-quarter completion to Torry Holt, who also caught a 3-yard first-quarter pass for the Rams' lone touchdown. The Rams' longest run from scrimmage was a 14-yard scramble by Bulger.

Linehan said he thought Jackson "was running the ball well, especially early. I thought he was certainly being the physical-type player that he is and always will be."

Yet Jackson had only three second-half carries in addition to his two fumbles.

Linehan said he thought Bulger was efficient.

"We've got to continue to work at being much more explosive offensively,'' Linehan said. "You know, he had six sacks (by Carolina) a year ago and got beat up pretty good. I think at times they were still getting back there, and Marc was trying to execute the game plan.

"I think all of us have got to play better, coach better, if we expect to win a game like this, though."

Ya think?

"Like I said, for a while as a team, we were playing good football," Linehan reiterated. "Two and a half quarters, keeping things in check. I thought we tired a little bit, as in the fourth quarter."

Tired? After 2½ quarters of the opening game?

"We were in very good position, and we let it get away from us," Linehan said. "That was real disappointing."

Here's a wacky idea. Next preseason, use the starters for more than just a handful of token plays. Maybe, just maybe, they'll build up enough stamina to last the entire first game.

Hal Pilger can be reached at (217) 788-1548 or hal.pilger@sj-r.com.

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