They were 30-30 against one another and 56-94 (.373) against everyone else (Rams excluded) from 2007 through last season.
Early returns from St. Louis suggest life is about to get tougher for the primary beneficiaries of the Rams' recent futility.New coach Jeff Fisher has the Rams off to a 1-1 start, their best two-game mark since 2006. St. Louis was leading at Detroit late in the opener before overcoming a 21-6 deficit to defeat the Washington Redskins last week.
These are not your 2007-2011 Rams. Put another way: The Washington Generals have left the division. No more doubling up on "free victory" coupons for the Cardinals, 49ers and Seahawks when facing the Rams. Time to start earning those 7-9 and 8-8 records that often buy time for coaching staffs.
That's how things look at this early point in the season, at least.
Improvements in passing offense seem to account for much of the Rams' newfound competitiveness. As noted, quarterback Sam Bradford had more goal-to-go touchdown passes in Week 2 (two) than he completed all last season (one).
The first chart compares the Rams' 2012 offensive stats through two games to the two-game totals for the previous five St. Louis teams. I've shaded rows featuring some of the most significant gains.
The second chart compares two-game defensive totals for the 2012 team to those for the previous five Rams teams. I've shaded the rows featuring significant gains. Improved health and talent at cornerback and outside linebacker has helped the Rams become better at hawking the ball, it appears.
Thanks to ESPN Stats & Information for the chart info.
20 Sep, 2012
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Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/75333/washington-generals-have-left-the-nfc-west
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Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic looks at what Kolb's Philadelphia experience imparted on the quarterback. Kolb: "The biggest thing I took is when it's high there, when things are going good, you can't buy into it because there is a lot of hype. Everybody is patting you on the back. And when it's low, good gosh, is the sun going to come up tomorrow? Although it's not quite like that here. It is the NFL and that's the way it is nowadays. As a quarterback especially, you have to be able to ride those waves and stay level-headed with every experience."
Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times breaks down the Seahawks by first and second halves. O'Neil: "The Seahawks' offense has yet to score a first-half touchdown, and two of the three field goals Seattle has managed in the first two periods of the first two games were the result of turnovers. The slow starts for the offense are reminiscent of the way Seattle began last season when it didn't score a first-half touchdown until the fourth game." Noted: Could it be that the Seahawks, as a team focused on running the ball, need time to build rhythm in their ground game most weeks? Are they proficient at halftime adjustments? All of the above? None of the above?
Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the rams are becoming an hard-edged team opponents complain about. Miklasz: "From 2001-2010, Fisher's Titans led the NFL in most personal foul penalties with 163. They were called for a league-high 67 penalties for unnecessary roughness, and flagged 46 times for roughing the passer. Moreover, the Titans were slapped with 18 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. I suppose that was a preview of coming infractions."
Larry Fitzgerald has five receptions, Beanie Wells is averaging 3.7 yards per touch and Ryan Williams (2.2 per touch) has lost two fumbles.
San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers welcomed back receiver and return specialist Ted Ginn Jr. from an ankle injury, but it's not clear if Ginn will be available against Minnesota on Sunday. The 49ers have been functioning well enough without him. Running back Brandon Jacobs (knee) remains sidelined. Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter appear fresh and have been productive. There's no reason to rush back Jacobs at this point, in my view. Depth at outside linebacker has been a bit of a concern since former starter Parys Haralson landed on injured reserve. The team brought back Eric Bakhtiari for depth at the position after losing Haralson's replacement, Clark Haggans, to a three-game suspension. Bakhtiari was with the 49ers in camp, so he knows the defense.
An NFL team should never evaluate a long-term investment after two games unless the evaluation makes the team look really, really smart.
