Penalty count kills off a poor St. Louis Rams offense.

The Chicago Bears came to play Sunday as they were faced off with the St. Louis Rams in a cross division matchup between the NFC West and the NFC North. St. Louis have struggled on offense all year, and the penalty count on Sunday just added to the misery that is the Rams’ offense in their 37-13 defeat.

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At 4-4 St Louis were looking to increase their record on Sunday, against a defeat-able Chicago defense. Although fans were hoping for an important win, Nick Foles continued to struggle on offense, as he fails to notch up any serious yardage on the pass play. Foles also continues to miss-cue his passes, especially on third-down.

Every game, Foles has a late release, and throws into heavy coverage, setting up 3^rd and long, which seems to be a common situation the Rams simply cannot overcome. Although this is a new offensive scheme for Foles, with a completely new receiving corps, he continues to play a vital part in the teams struggle offensively. Passes are often thrown inaccurately and into double coverage, often in situations where wide other receivers are left wide open. Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, Foles looked in control and comfortable, after that standout performance, Foles has yet to regain that mojo.

Nick Wagoner from ESPN summarises the responsibility that Foles had in this dismal performance, stating, ‘With the pressure on him to get his team back in the game, Foles’ warts were exposed further and the Rams went home with yet another loss to an NFC North foe’.

Nov 15, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles (5) is sacked by Chicago Bears linebacker Lamarr Houston (99) and outside linebacker Sam Acho (49) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. Chicago defeated St. Louis 37-13. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Adding to this was the penalty count against the Rams, which pushed the offense back into difficult situations. Eight penalties were committed by the Rams, equating to a loss of 57 total yards on offense. Greg Robinson was particularly disappointing with a count of three penalties, all of them for holding. There were many situations where the offense were moving the ball up the field, only to be pulled back with a flag down.

Sep 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles (5) drops back to pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

This penalty count is completely inefficient, and killed off any hope of winning against the Bears. The Rams had their worst performance of the year on Sunday, and fans will be hoping that the team will only improve from this. With the penalties and the worst third down conversation rate, the Rams still have the worst offense in the league after Sunday.

The Rams were shaping up for what seemed to be a promising season, however, unless Foles can have a positive impact, and the offensive line can put a stop to these careless penalties, than the fans may be looking at yet another lost year with a reasonably talented roster.

Next week the Rams travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens, in another matchup that the Rams can win. The win will depend on Foles’ improvement and a lower penalty count to increase the offensive fluency.