3 Rams Offensive Players On The Hotseat

The St. Louis Rams just lost their third straight game and the last two losses have been less than stellar performances to say the least. Rams fans are not too happy with the team, as many had high playoff hopes headed into the season. With the Rams sitting at 1-3, it doesnt look like the playoffs are going to happen.

Football is a team sport and you really cant just blame one person. You win as a team and you lose as a team. However, there are some players in particular who have underperformed. Here are some Rams players on the “Hot Seat”.

Sam Bradford

I am a believer in Sam Bradford and will always be a believer in Sam Bradford. I feel like if you put an offensive line around him and give him a good supporting cast Bradford will succeed. So far right now, Bradford is on track to have a career year. Through four games he has the best stats in his career with 7 touchdowns to only 3 interceptions. You cant say Bradford has underperformed. However, it is a quarterback driven league, and when a team wins the quarterback is going to get too much credit and when they lose the quarterback is going to get too much criticism.

At this point, fans dont want stats, they want wins and Bradford isnt bringing that. Y0u cant put it all on him though. Bradford cant make the offensive line block or make the receivers catch. Even the best of quarterbacks struggle when they have a supporting cast that doesnt perform. Just look at Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning this year. Both of them have won Super Bowls but they are having a terrible 2013 season all because their offensive line isnt blocking, they have no run game, they both have a group of sub par wide receivers, and both teams have an average defense. Bradford isnt Tom Brady or Peyton Manning that can be put on any team and make them win, but he is a franchise quarterback and I will stand behind him until he is the reason why this team is losing.

Daryl Richardson

Another player I am a firm believer in is Daryl Richardson. I know this guy can get the job done, unfortunately right now he’s not. 12 carries for 16 yards  just won’t cut it. I love the guy and I know he has what it takes, but unfortunately the stats just dont back me up here. Richardson needs to get something going on the ground to help Bradford and the offense. If not the Rams could just replace Richardson very soon.

The Rams offensive line isn’t helping Richardson at all as they have got no push up front and have opened up few holes, but as a running back you have to be able to work around that. Look at all the terrible offensive lineman Steven Jackson ran behind back in his day, yet he still managed 1,000 yards a season. Shows just how great Steven was. Richardson doesnt have to rack up 1,000 yards, but at least enough to keep the defense honest and make them respect the run game.

Tavon Austin

I find this hilarious, Tavon Austin is a rookie and is four games into his NFL career and “fans” are already labeling him as a bust. Ridiculous right? Everybody knows Austin hasnt played that great this season, including Austin himself. Austin is consistently dropping balls and spends a little too much time dancing around.

The NFL is a completely different monster than college ball, and Tavon is still adjusting to the speed and tendencies of NFL defensive players. Tavon is a smart guy and he’ll figure it out. Every rookie struggles early on, but I’d start counting down now,because it’s only a matter of time before Austin makes a big play.

Conclusion

Now these are not the only Rams offensive players that are on the hot seat. Honorable mentions go to the entire offensive line who owns a large amount of the Rams salary cap and need to earn their paycheck. Bradford has eaten a lot of turf the past two weeks and it’s key that they keep him upright. Jared Cook needs to start playing like he did in week one, because since then he has really hasnt done much to make a positive impact and more importantly he has made me look like a fool in my fantasy league. The Rams have a lot of talent that isnt playing up to their potential and because of that these players are on the hot seat.