Real Optimism For St. Louis Rams In 2012
Given the St. Louis Rams abysmal 15-75 record over the past five years, it’s clear that there is no where to go but up for this team. On the field, the club finally showed reason to believe in that this past weekend with their 31-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. It may have just been preseason action, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic that this team can put together a solid 2012 campaign.
For starters, quarterback Sam Bradford has been beaten up in recent years, but on Saturday he looked as good as he has during his entire career with the Rams. Bradford was patient, had solid footwork, and delivered timely passes to his targets. If he can be protected properly and given plenty of short to intermediate pass patterns on quick three or five step drops, the Rams aerial attack should fare well. Head Coach Jeff Fisher said: “Sam did a good job. Great throws, the one to Danny Amendola was a great throw to start the game. We ran the football and threw it effectively with the first group. I was pleased with the outcome there.”
While the defense isn’t incredible, the Rams do have several young pieces in place to be awfully good for years to come. Defensive end Chris Long’s new contract is taken care of and linebacker James Laurinaitis should see his money sooner rather than later. The cash invested in corner Cortland Finnegan will pay huge dividends in what he brings on the field as a leader in the locker room. The draft picks used on Michael Brockers, Janoris Jenkins, and Trumaine Johnson are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the stockpile of choices the team will have over the coming years. This defense has the potential to be built into something really special if the front office plays their cards right.
Seeing Bradford complete passes and the defense force four turnovers as they did against the Chiefs is a definite step in the right direction. Look for more building blocks from the St Louis Rams as the preseason moves along and then the optimism will fully take hold.
Follow Anthony Blake on Twitter @AnthonyMBlake or on Facebook at Anthony Mizarkus Blake
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