1 The defense has been disappointing »St. Louis is last in the NFL defending the run, which has been somewhat of a surprise. In 2010, the Rams’ defense ranked 19th overall and 17th vs. the run. But they tried to upgrade with two new outside linebackers (Brady Poppinga and Ben Leber). The ends aren’t playing disciplined, allowing gains outside. Meanwhile, opposing quarterbacks have a 95.2 passer rating vs. the Rams. Safety Craig Dahl and cornerback Justin King in particular have struggled.
2 The line is struggling in protection » In 2009, the Rams made tackle Jason Smith a top-five selection in the draft. In 2011, they benched him after three games. Mistakes on high picks along the line will lead to protection issues. And that’s what is plaguing St. Louis, which has allowed 12 sacks this year. The Rams invested heavily in the line, but it has failed. Line coach Steve Loney is under fire for his protection schemes, too.
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Quarterback Sam Bradford isn’t the same » The second-year quarterback is off to a bad start, completing just 50.9 percent of his passes under new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. This isn’t a new trend, however. In his last five games of 2010, he threw one touchdown and six interceptions and finished four games with a passer rating of 66.3 or worse. This season he has struggled under pressure and has forced passes to covered receivers, who too often drop passes.
4 They’re not completely hopeless » The Redskins should know as well as anyone what St. Louis can do when it has a bad record. But the Rams do have talent: Running back Cadillac Williams is solid, and tight end Lance Kendricks is an athletic player. The line has done a solid job run blocking as the Rams are averaging 4.6 yards a carry. End Chris Long already has three sacks. They were expected to contend in the NFC West, and that will be difficult if they fall to 0-4.
