#31: The St. Louis Rams

www.WeAreTheHecklers.com

It was 10 years ago, when the Rams won their Super Bowl, but it feels like the team will never recover. Over the past few years the Rams have seen their number fall apart. Offensive ranks and defensive ranks for points per game are as follows:

Offense Defense
2003: 2 17
2004: 19 25
2005: 11 31
2006: 10 28
2007: 28 31
2008: 30 31
(source: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/ram/)

Last year was the farthest they've fallen, and the Rams have added...well not that much. They still have Marc Bulger who never really panned out as their starting QB. Their running back, Steven Jackson, has been to one pro-bowl but that was back in 2006. In 2008, he started 11 games and barely broke 1000 yards. Although he does have some good receiving numbers, you need a good running back. The Rams offensive line still has a bit of a distance to go.

Gone are the days of Holt, and in are Laurent Robinson, Donnie Avery and Randy McMichael (at tight end). The only star power on this team is the previously mentioned aging Jackson. The defense has solid starter Leonard Little on the end, and the linebackers are good enough, but not great.

The schedule is decent, as they go to Seattle - but Seattle is never a good trip no matter where you are from.

They get a game against the Lions on Nov 1st, and then head into a bye - so that is a feasible win. The Rams also host the Seahawks again, that would work, and I can see them beating the 49ers in St. Louis.

As always in the NFL there will be that extra win or two - so I can see a best-case scenerio for the Rams at about 6-10, but look for something closer to 5-11.

- Dave

NFL Preview: Hecklers Rankings. 32 Team breakdown

www.WeAreTheHecklers.com

What is below is the first ever Heckler Ratings. I asked the five main contributors to come up with a preseason ranking, and here is how it shaped up:



With all apologies to the sloppy format, the content leaves us many questions about fan-dom.

A few bulletpoints:

• There are only two teams that were unanimous decisions, the Steelers and the Patriots at 1 and 2 respectively.
• Tom Brady wants to play every game of the preseason. However, it could be a case of Brady just doing what he does - saying "I want to do it all" before his coaches step in and say, "Don't kid."
• The second best team last year - well at least losers of Super Bowl XLIII, are tied with the Bears, but since their variance was lower, they slotted in with the middle spot at 16.
• Despite many saying LT is past his prime, he has had an impressive camp and looks to bounce back from the foot injury that has plagued him recently.
  
• According to NFL.com's fantasy rankings, LT isn't even in the top five. In the top five? Adrian Peterson and Matt Forte. The Bears, as mentioned before, are in the middle of the pack. Yet, word out of Bears camp is that newly acquired QB Jay Cutler has made his receivers look fantastic. Fantasy freaks, look for Greg Olson to make huge plays this year.
• The Lions will be horrible, but the worst ever? Not so much, that was last year.

These are just some quick hits, but with the NFL season starting in about a month, and the Hall of Fame game being this upcoming Sunday. I am proud to announce that over the coming month, We Are The Hecklers will heckle and break down all 32 teams. That's right, every single team will be analyzed. The order will be the reverse order of the Heckler Ratings. Look for the Steelers to be heckled this coming Monday.

- Dave

The Other Blogger

Hey all, welcome to We Are The Hecklers, Kyle here, one of the other contributors to this blog. Myself and other members of the blog hope you enjoy this joint venture we're putting forward, which I'm sure will veer to every sports topic short of curling. Why not, maybe we'll even throw curling in.

Here's an idea of some of the things I'll be blogging about over the next few weeks, with the qualifier that I am a Boston fan, so expect to read a good amount about the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots:

Soccer- Wait, the US beat Spain? But then blew a 3 goal lead to Brazil? Can this team be any more of an enigma if it tries? Only time will tell, but this soccer fan is looking forward to the World Cup even more now.

Baseball- A great end to the first half of the season for the Red Sox, but can they be even better with Jed Lowrie and Mike Lowell coming back from the DL and a reborn John Smoltz?

- I'll also take a look at what is shaping up to be a great race in the AL East between the Yankees, Sox, and Tampa Bay, and honestly handicap who I think will take it all in the division.

Football- Seriously who else is excited for football season? I cannot wait for training camp to finally get under way. Once we get a little closer I'll blog about what I see for the coming year.

Basketball- Ah my bread and butter basketball. This is the area that I'll be blogging most in once the season starts, expect a look soon at the off season moves of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and what I think it will do for their chances of a title in 2009-2010.

- I'll also spend some time looking at what trades I think were over-hyped by the media this off season and what moves that didn't get much press will end up helping teams the most.

So that's what's on my mind right now, I'll be filling the moderate role on the blog. And as my co-blogger Dave said, leave your thoughts in the comments and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible!

Kyle

Away we go

Ah, we have entered the wonderful world of blogging. As the headline says, we say what we think. There is a lot of stuff going out there in the world, and there are sponsors, advertisers, and various people meant to bring you down, but when all is said and done, to each his own. Yes, selfish as it sounds, we are going to say what we feel like. The smallest stadiums in the NFL are approximately 63,000. That's a lot of people, and we're just some of those screaming idiots who care enough to write about it.

Down to business.

These are OUR thoughts and no one else can tell us what to say or think, and that is the beauty of it all. The first amendment allowed for things like these, but forget politics. This is a sports blog.

So, here's just some random things about me and then some thoughts passing through my head.

I love video games, mike and mike (and will frequently reference it), I have mlb.tv and watch games a lot. I actually watch the all star games. I watch a lot of sportscenter and put it down as my favorite tv show for my high school superlative.

Soccer:
- We lost that game against Brazil didn't we? All right, let's just remain apathetic about it until we blow it in the World Cup. No other opinions necessary.
Hockey:
-Marty Brodeur is the best goalie of all time. Yes, I'm a Devils fan, and I know no one who reads this is.
-I can't stand Sidney Crosby, and he's great and all but shut up. He's not Wayne Gretzky.
Basketball:
-I'm a Nets fan, but they suck so onto the Knicks...I sure do hope they get LeBron, but come on, he's not going to be the first billion dollar athlete. Tiger woods has that locked down.
Golf:
-Could not have cared LESS until Tiger Woods came along. Yeah, I'm a fan of his but I like the sport too.
-I honestly hope he beats Jack Nickalus' record and gets like 20 majors. He can do it, it's not like he's getting any younger but he's allowed to get older. It's golf. Oh yeah, a black president and a black golfer dominating the sport? What the hell happened?
Baseball:
- I am a Yankees fan but seriously, a lot of Yankee fans need to get over themselves. I'm sick of Yankee fans who expect to win. My favorite part of being a Yankees fan was watching Ian Kennedy, Joba and Hughes grow up. Sure it may not have worked out but it was fun.
- I am in a VERY small minority here but I think pitchers shouldn't hit. It is dumb. They can get injured.
Football:
- I love football so much. I'm a Jets fan, a huge Jets fan, but boy do I just love the sport in general. I like watching film, watching those "Edge Matchup" shows at 7 in the morning on Sundays. I don't go to many games, but this will be my main area of expertise.
- I can't wait.


No, don't expect the rest of the posts to be like this, it's just an introduction.

Oh yeah, one thing, I don't want to deal with emails, so if you have a response, want to tell me I'm stupid for being a Devils fan, hate me for being a Yankees fan, or remind me that I have rookie QB Mark Sanchez starting this season, well then comment, I'll try to answer everything as best I can assuming anyone actually replies.

Dave (the main administrator)