The St. Louis Rams showed much promise towards the end of last season, but only to come up a little too late to the playoff party. With a 6-10 record to close out 2014, the Rams have failed to nab a winning record for the 11th-consecutive season.
Things are now looking up for the Rams, though, as the offseason paved the way for the players’ recuperation from last season’s injuries and various roster adjustments. Let’s take a closer look at what St. Louis will bring to the table in this renewed season of the NFL.
You may also want to check out how things are shaping up in the Rams’ division. Head on over to our feature on the win total predictions for the NFC West, as well as an in-depth preview for the reigning division champs in the Seattle Seahawks.
[sc:Football ]2015-2016 St. Louis Rams Preview
Overview
The St. Louis Rams have been on the playoff bubble for a few years now, but they have been outdone by their division rivals time and again in the crowded NFC West. It’s hard to pin down exactly where the Rams are headed because they are very polarizing and unpredictable on both sides of the field.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Last year, we saw quarterback Sam Bradford go down even before the regular season began due to another torn ACL. While Bradford’s backups at QB in Shaun Hill and Austin Davis fared well in sharing time under center in his absence, the Rams were definitely hurting offensively without having a true playmaker at the helm. St. Louis finished 28th in the league in total offense.
The Rams would also rather forget how their defense got off on the wrong foot last season. St. Louis had the dishonor of having the lowest number of sacks (one) through the first five games of the regular season in NFL history. But things took a turn for the better as the season rolled along, as St. Louis’ defense would end up tallying 47 sacks for the season – good for 8th in the league.
Offseason Review
By shipping oft-injured Bradford off to Philly, St. Louis now has what seems like a better option at quarterback with Nick Foles. Foles loves to throw, and he certainly thrived under Chip Kelly’s high-powered offense for the past two seasons with the Eagles.
However, Foles is an on-field casualty waiting to happen as well. He played just eight games last season as he suffered a broken collarbone on Week 9, and has only played 28 out of 48 games in his three seasons as a pro. Furthermore, the former Pro Bowl selection would also have to work with a Rams offensive line that will likely trot out five rookies at the start of this season.
The running game looks solid, though, as Tre Mason showed lots of potential during his rookie campaign. Mason had 765 yards on the ground last season at 4.3 yards per carry to go along with four touchdowns. St. Louis even doubled-down on the rushing attack by drafting Georgia’s Todd Gurley with the 10th-overall pick of this year’s draft.
If Gurley has a solid recovery from his own torn ACL (recent reports show he’s good to go), and if he can contribute well early into the season, the Rams might just have enough chops to win quality games with a solid back-by-committee tandem of he and Mason.
And of course, St. Louis’ front seven on defense will still be a force to reckon with. 2013 NFC sacks leader Robert Quinn and 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year Aaron Donald will lead the charge on the defensive line together with a now-healthy Chris Long and recently-acquired Nick Fairley from the Lions. A stout linebacking corps of James Laurianitis, Alec Ogletree and Akeem Ayers rounds out a formidable Rams defensive front.
Key Player – Tavon Austin
For as much attention as the quarterback situation and the solid defensive unit gets, Tavon Austin is one of St. Louis’ wide receivers that can actually make a huge impact. That is, if Austin himself finds the proper motivation to prove that he was worth every bit of the high first-round pick that the Rams used on him back in 2013.
The wideout from West Virginia has not had an impressive showing in his first couple of years in the big leagues. Austin tallied just 660 receiving yards and four touchdowns in two seasons with St. Louis. He does, however, do a lot of damage on the return game. He ranked third in the league last season with 391 punt return yards, and was even named as a Pro Bowl alternate kick returner.
With Foles taking snaps for the Rams this season, Austin can finally use his speed to his advantage to be on the receiving end of his QB’s deep bombs. It’s time for him to break out of the kick returner mold and assist the Rams in the passing game along with Kenny Britt and Brian Quick, who are both ahead of him in the Rams’ wide receiver depth chart.
Key Game – vs. San Francisco (November 1)
St. Louis has a gory slate early into this season, starting with a Week 1 home opener against Seattle. A visit from Pittsburgh in Week 3, followed by a two-game road swing to Arizona and Green Bay before Week 6’s bye is a hard pill to swallow. After a Week 7 match hosting Cleveland, we see the Rams having a record of 2-4 at best entering an All Saints Day battle with the San Francisco 49ers.
This midseason divisional matchup will likely set the tone for the remainder of St. Louis’ season. The 49ers are expected to be the worst team in the NFC West this year, and the Rams have to prove to the rest of the division that they are still in contention. They’ll be at home for this game after supposedly dispatching the Browns the week before, so this is the right time to get them back to somewhere within the .500 range.
A loss to San Francisco, however, could make it three or four more losses than wins to date, which would make a run for the playoffs – much less a run for the division title – far from happening. A loss from yet another division rival would also further justify why they are +725 underdogs to take the NFC West crown.
Best/Worst Case Scenario for the Season
Best Case Scenario
Nick Foles finally plays a complete season and has a solid all-around performance. Mason and Gurley combine for over 2,000 yards rushing, and St. Louis will end the season with a top-10 defense and top the league in sacks. The Rams make the playoffs for the first time since 2004 as a wild card entry, but still lack firepower on offense to advance further in the postseason.
Worst Case Scenario
Yet another season-ending starting quarterback injury brings all playoff hopes to a crash thanks to a leaky offensive line. No running game will be in sight as well. The rest of the league figures out how to contain St. Louis’ defensive front, and the secondary unit gives up a ton of passing yards to the opposition. Another high draft pick in the following season’s lottery is in the horizon for St. Louis.
Complete Schedule
| WEEK | DATE | OPPONENT | TIME (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun, Sep 13 | Seattle | 1:00 PM |
| 2 | Sun, Sep 20 | @ Washington | 1:00 PM |
| 3 | Sun, Sep 27 | vs Pittsburgh | 1:00 PM |
| 4 | Sun, Oct 4 | @ Arizona | 4:25 PM |
| 5 | Sun, Oct 11 | @ Green Bay | 1:00 PM |
| 6 | Bye Week | ||
| 7 | Sun, Oct 25 | vs Cleveland | 1:00 PM |
| 8 | Sun, Nov 1 | vs San Francisco | 2:00 PM |
| 9 | Sun, Nov 8 | @ Minnesota | 2:00 PM |
| 10 | Sun, Nov 15 | vs Chicago | 2:00 PM |
| 11 | Sun, Nov 22 | @ Baltimore | 2:00 PM |
| 12 | Sun, Nov 29 | @ Cincinnati | 2:00 PM |
| 13 | Sun, Dec 6 | vs Arizona | 2:00 PM |
| 14 | Sun, Dec 13 | vs Detroit | 2:00 PM |
| 15 | Thu, Dec 17 | vs Tampa Bay | 9:25 PM |
| 16 | Sun, Dec 27 | @ Seattle | 5:25 PM |
| 17 | Sun, Jan 3 | @ San Francisco | 5:25 PM |
Writer’s Prediction
St. Louis ends the season with an identical 6-10 record from last year, and misses the playoffs yet again. Create a betting account now if you think the Rams will do much better than with what we’ve predicted.
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