West shows weakness
SEATTLE – The St. Louis Rams are 0-6, their worst start in 45 years. They are the only winless team in the NFC.
The losses, along with an epidemic of injuries to their Pro Bowl quarterback, franchise running back, most accomplished receiver, seven-time Pro Bowl tackle and defensive leader, have Scott Linehan in a personal crisis.
“It’s extremely challenging, probably one of the most challenging times for me personally, but (also) for everybody around here,” the second-year coach said. “There has to be a silver lining.”
Oh, there is. The Rams play in the NFC West.
It’s the conference’s infirmary, where quasi-health and mediocrity make you first rate, and futility may still equal contention. No team in the division has a winning record, and collectively the four rivals are 8-15.
“Well, no one’s distanced themselves. There have been a lot of injuries in the division, that’s one,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. “It’s a scramble.”
Though the Rams will likely be without lead runner Steven Jackson for a fourth consecutive game because of a partially torn groin, they will welcome back quarterback Marc Bulger when they play at Seattle (3-3) today.
Bulger, whose accuracy has scared Seattle for years, missed the last two games with ribs that will still be sore today. And beyond.
“I don’t think my ribs will probably feel good until about March or April,” he said.
St. Louis may also get back Isaac Bruce, seventh all-time among NFL receivers in catches entering this season. His hamstring injury has caused him to miss the last two games.
A breakout win in their return could leave the Rams almost miraculously just two games out of first place with nine games still remaining, depending on how Arizona (3-3), which has lost quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner to injuries, fares at Washington.
Ahhh, isn’t the West grand?
“As bleak as it’s been, we’re only three games out of first place,” wide receiver Dane Looker said. “You win this game, you’re two games out and that’s got to be our mind-set.”
The Seahawks’ mind-set has got to be: forget the opponent, we’ve got enough problems.
Seattle lost last week at home to what had been another winless team, New Orleans. The Seahawks fell behind 21-0 while allowing Matt Hasselbeck to get sacked five times, botching a punt snap that gave the Saints their first touchdown and having a field goal blocked. The defense continued its shoddy tackling and left Saints receivers in open swaths of turf because of what Holmgren said were poor, undisciplined drops into pass coverage by a secondary that has three new starters this season.
Don’t think Bulger and Bruce didn’t notice.
Shaun Alexander, playing his fifth game with a cast on his cracked left wrist, ran for just 35 yards on 14 carries. He has just 60 yards in his last two games, his lowest production in consecutive games since 2002. The league MVP in 2005 was booed off the field well before the 28-17 defeat to the Saints ended.
But only in the NFC West can someone say, as Alexander did Thursday, “We’re happy with our position.”
As for his relatively scant production, with has just two touchdowns this year, two seasons after setting the league record with 28, Alexander wants to let freedom ring.
“That’s one of the things I’ve been working this whole week, going back to what I used to and stop trying to make every play perfect,” he said.
“I think that when the line changed … you want to go and do basic stuff, which is, ‘OK, the hole is in the ‘A’ gap. Run in the ‘A’ gap.’ I think that that hasn’t really been working for our group. So now I’m going to go back to just making the plays happen.
“This year more than any other year, I’ve been more focused on staying on the play. I just have to let myself be free. I’ve kind of chained myself down.”