August 12, 2012; Indianapolis, IN USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola (16) catches a pass under pressure from Indianapolis Colts corner back Justin King (21) during the first quarter of play in Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-US PRESSWIRE

I went back and rewatched the tape from Sunday’s 38-3 preseason loss to the Colts, and I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t as bad as I originally thought. It wasn’t great by any means, but it wasn’t a disaster either. I know I’m probably going to get the classic “he’s a homer” response from some people, but there were a few aspects of the performance that show some potential.

First, I want to touch on some of the disappointments, with the biggest undoubtedly being the offensive line play. Both the first-team and second-team units weren’t nearly good enough, and frankly I’m worried. As bad as our line play was last season, I really thought we were in for a major improvement in 2012. Now, I’m not so sure. It was only one preseason game, but that group has to be better. I thought Isaiah Pead showed some flashes of being good, but overall he struggled. It looked like jitters, so I expect him to be better in the next few games. Also, on a less vital note, rookie QB Austin Davis didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t so much his numbers, but his long wind-up throwing motion. I had high expectations, but I don’t know how effective he can be if he doesn’t shorten up.

Now, on to the positive. For all the criticism I’ve heard about the defense, I liked what I saw. Coach Fisher said they played a pretty vanilla scheme, which played a role in the giving up points, but the front four did a nice job getting upfield and Robert Quinn looked like a beast. I thought Michael Brockers and Janoris Jenkins more than held their own, and Kendall Langford was very impressive. When they move to their full scheme, I expect this group to be very good.

Offensively, Sam Bradford missed a couple of throws but the first-team unit moved the ball well. Steven Jackson didn’t play much, but when he was in the game it looked like we had no problem running the ball. Bradford made some nice throws, and assuming the group can finish off drives, I think they will be much better than last season. Fisher will clean up some of those drive-killing mistakes, and the receiving group looked pretty solid for the first time out.

September 20, 2009; Landover, MD, USA; St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Jason Smith (77) during the game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-US PRESSWIRE

I am a regular reader of ProFootballTalk.com, but that doesn’t mean I agree with everything they have to say. PFT is doing their annual power rankings for the upcoming season, and they slotted the Rams in at 28 of the 32 teams. I don’t know if I disagree with the ranking so much (although I would probably put them in front of a few more teams), but I do take issue with some of the explanation.

First, here is what they had to say about the offensive line. “On paper, St. Louis arguably has the worst offensive line in football. Left tackle Rodger Saffold is considered the team’s top lineman, and he’s coming off a bad season. 2011 free-agent signing Harvey Dahl didn’t spark the group’s play in his first season with the Rams. Scott Wells was signed away from Green Bay to solidify center, but there is a huge hole at left guard. And at least based on recent performance, Jason Smith can be classified among the likes of Wayne Hunter (Jets) and Jeromey Clary (Chargers) as one of the weakest right tackles in the game. Smith has been a brutal bust as the former second overall pick in the draft.”

I’m not going to sit here and say that the Rams have a great offensive line, but I think the group is better than they are being given credit. I completely disagree with the assessment of Smith, and I think the addition of Wells is going to impact the line more than expected. The hole at left guard is a worry, but it can be filled.

“The NFC West has long been considered the weakest division in football, and there is pretty much every reason to believe the Rams are its weakest team. Five or six wins would be an accomplishment for this roster.”

I’m not going to take issue with 5 or 6 wins as an accomplishment, but I don’t know if it’s a foregone conclusion that they are the weakest team in the West either. I’m not sold on Arizona or Seattle, so let’s not put the Rams in the 2012 cellar just yet.

I think part of the problem is the offensive line hasn’t played nearly as well as the coaches expected, and if the entire offense was based around the idea that the O-Line would be able to at least be adequate in pass-blocking, then I don’t think you can throw all of the offensive blame on the coach. I certainly think the coaches are partly to blame, but if McD spent an entire offseason developing an offense and his line completely underachieves, I don’t know if it’s all on him. With that being said, at some point there has to be an adjustment made based on what we have to work with. Continue reading on next page.