2007 NFL Preview: St. Louis Rams

There’s no denying that the Rams’ offense has playoff potential, with Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson, Pro Bowl quarterback Marc Bulger and five players who caught at least 45 passes last season, including newcomers Drew Bennett and Randy McMichael. Linehan may have to loosen the reigns just a little more with all of this talent as his “playing it safe” approach cost his team scoring opportunities each week.

In Scott Linehan’s safety-first system, running back Steven Jackson’s considerable all-around talent was maximized both rushing and receiving. He seems to be the perfect takeover for Marshall Faulk. A turning point came when Linehan turned the play-calling duties over to offensive coordinator Greg Olson after the Rams’ worst loss of the season — a 15-0 Week 11 shutout in Carolina. With Olson calling the shots, the team averaged 27.5 points in the final six games. If the Rams can come out of the gates with this type of explosion, we can expect their games to be high-noon shootouts.

The Rams allowed an NFC-high 145.4 yards per game rushing last season, as teams particularly picked on the right side of the defense. Their outside pass rush left a great deal to be desired. Other than Leonard Little who was the only player to play bigger than his name, the team got only two sacks from the defensive end position. That’s only two more sacks than the offensive tight ends came up with. Little came up with 13 sacks and six forced fumbles while operating against endless double teams. The Rams hope James Hall can come in and take some heat off Little.

As the rest of the West gets better, the Rams drop a game off their 2006 season which was really saved by three straight wins to finish the year. We’ll chalk the Rams up with seven wins as they continue to build a consistent defense.