Open Thread - Rams at Raiders, Week 15

This is a must win game.  Sad, but true.

The Raiders have a decent enought pass defense, but that really shouldn't be much of a problem for Bulger, Holt, Bruce and Jackson.  Plus, Jackson should have a pretty good day running the ball.

However, the Raiders have a horrible offense.  So, the Rams SHOULD be able to tighten up.  If they get gouged again, we've got SERIOUS troubles heading in to next season.

Let's go Rams.

If you wanna call me a negative Nancy...fine.  But I'm not about to gush all over this win with my eyes closed like so many are apparantly doing.  I just voted in the stltoday.com poll "grade the Rams..." and was rather taken aback by the results so far.  Here they are:

27% - B - Ball control led to Rams playing a precision game.
23% - C - Winning turnover battle is easy when you don't turn over the ball.
20% - A - Near-flawless game results in a shutout. Perfect.
20% - F - This wasn't as much as a win for the Rams as the Raiders gave the game away.
10% - D - Still had 10 penalties, including more on the offensive line.

For the record, I voted D.  Frankly, I don't think you can recieve an "F" and still win a game...even if it IS against the Raiders.

And for those 20% that voted "A"...WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU WATCHING!?!?!?!!!

Way too many penalties.  Bulger only completed 50% of his passes for a measley 137 yards.  4 sacks!

If it wasn't for the putrid offense of the Raiders, this game is A LOT different.  The offense looked uninspired (save for Jackson and Bulger).  And the play calling (especially in the Red Zone) was boring.

The way I see it, they might as well lose the last two games.  What's the point?  Prepare for next season, get guys healthy, DON'T SCREW UP YOUR DRAFT POSITION LIKE YOU DID LAST YEAR AGAINST DALLAS!!!, and keep Bulger in one piece.

It's that simple.  The Rams are "mathematically" alive, but the odds are unbelievablely bad.  If they try to make some push, all it does is hurt the draft...which brings up something I thought of today.

What do we need in the draft?  Defense, right?  Well, I agree.  However, what if there were a BIG stud reciever available?  Someone out of a Larry Fitzgerald/Anquan Bolden mold?  Someone like...Calvin Johnson?  Or Dwayne Jarrett?  Or even Jeff Samardzija? Hmmm.....

I'm not entirely sold on the idea, but just thought I'd throw it out there to kick around.

new poster here, though i've been lurking for awhile.  first off, i would like to thank vanram for all of the hard work in getting this site up and running.  personally, i am a fan of the sbnation format (god bless you, vivaelbirdos), and am glad that that it has a blog dedicated to the rams.  it's always nice to post it after a win, even if the hyenas at stltoday can find a reason to yip.
i saw that the bears gave up 31 today, making their opponents totals now 27, and 31 in their last 2 games.  it would be a nice, albeit small, consolation, if the offensive gameplan that the rams staff came up with ended up being the blueprint for beating the "best team in the nfc."  all the better if that team is from chicago.  it will be interesting to see how teams move the ball on them the next few weeks, and will be even more interesting to see how the saints execute that gameplan in their inevitable conference championship showdown.  my money will be on the saints, and not just because my zip code is 70130.
here's hoping that the offseason brings a defensive tackle pushing four bills.  it would be nice to have a run defense that wasn't holier than a sieve (where have you gone, ray agnew?)  tye hill has had some flashes, but i wonder if the rams would have had more wins this season if they had drafted haloti ngata.
speaking of our team's prodigious win count, six wins means that the rams have matched their win total from 2005.  now, that's no reason to burn a couch in celebration, but in my book, any season where you win more games than the year before is a sign of progress.  i, for one, am hoping for at least one more win this season.  the greatest show on turf wasn't built in a day, after all.  anyways, i'm just gonna enjoy this win, and the fact that i won't be taking major shit from the saints fans at work tomorrow.  i still can't believe az hakim muffed that punt...