I decided to combine these two this week; for each grade, I will be overreacting... at least I'll try to. Really, assessing this team's performance is hard to do without getting a bit weepy. It's ugly right now, and with the injuries the Rams have suffered, it's hard to imagine it getting any less uglier from here on out.
Let the overreacting begin.
QB: C-
I want to give the dynamic duo of Marc Bulger and Kyle Boller a D+, but two touchdowns from a Rams QB is breathtaking. Really, though, what did Boller do except exploit Brandon Chillar on two plays? Not much. He finished with just 164 yards on 31 attempts and completed just over half of them. Boller still can't shake his old "raising cain" throws, you know, the ones that end up a good 4 feet above his target's head. Enthused, I am not.
HB: A
Steven Jackson pounded it over and over, making diamonds out of dirt. Kenneth Darby even contributed in spots. Yes, Jackson's fumble killed some momentum, but Green Bay only converted a field goal from it. Let's be honest - you couldn't ask anyone to do more than Steven Jackson did yesterday.
WR/TE: D+
Take away Daniel Fells two catches, and this was a pretty piss poor game for the receivers. Laurent Robinson got hurt, Donnie Avery was targeted 7 times for 12 yards, Randy McMichael couldn't catch... When and how will this group get better?
O-line: A-
Aside from the one sack to Boller and the traffic that took out Bulger, the O-line fared well. They helped out Steven Jackson at times by opening up some solid running lanes. Take your time, Jason Smith. No need for you to rush back. We can lose just fine without ya...
D-line: B+/D+
More of the same. Great job bottling up the run, horrible job getting to the QB. Leonard Little nabbed two early sacks before disappearing. Chris Long didn't even wait; he was a minimal factor in the pass rush from the kickoff to the final whistle.
LB: B
The softest game for the LB corps thus far. The secondary and D-line ended up with most of the tackles, so Laurinaitis and Co. didn't have as much to bring down. Kudos to the DTs, uh, No-Doz for the secondary.
DBs: F
What can I say. The secondary matched gravity on Sunday - they brought me down to Earth.
ST: B
Pro Bowl-caliber punting from Donnie Jones, a blocked FG followed by a long successful one (and the first of the season) by Josh Brown, and a respectable opening game for new return man Danny Amendola. So far, this has been the best facet of the Rams' game along with the force that is Steven Jackson
Coaching: D
Wildcat formations, shuffle passes on 3rd and long early on, no deep tosses to Avery, and a consistent addiction to coverage over blitzing. No thank you.
So there's your overreactions after sleeping on it. Which of these is closest to a rational reaction? I report. You decide.