The 2015 season is all but over for the St Louis Rams: What went wrong, and where to now?

By Adam Buttigieg | Dec 22, 2015

With the Seattle Seahawks defeating the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the St. Louis Rams playoff hopes were officially ended, and Seattle all but securing a Wild Card playoff spot as they rally to a winning record in their final stretch of games in 2015, out classing the St. Louis Rams in the home run.

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The 2015 season had a lot to live up to, with the addition of a new QB, a first-round running back and many talented offensive linemen, the fans in St. Louis had much to be excited about in 2015. The season began as planned when the Rams found themselves sitting at an impressive 4-3, and a remarkable 3-0 in the NFC West. However, the hill was steep from here, as the team threw away any chance of a playoff hope in yet another season, slumping to a 5-game losing streak.

Dec 17, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) looks on before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

It has been stated, and suggested in many reliable sources that GM Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher will be returning in 2016, which may seem disappointing for many fans, although some fans may still have faith in the Fisher’s philosophy. In this, it is also important to consider where Snead and Fisher intend to focus their draft selections next year.

Looking back on the 2015 NFL draft, Todd Gurley showed the world why he was selected as the tenth overall selection. Gurley has tremendous amounts of talent in the running game, particularly with a poorly equipped offensive roster. He is a clear franchise player, one who a GM and head coach are able to build their team around. However, the Rams should not look to solely rely on this kid for every game, and there lies the biggest problem that must be fixed.

When Gurley was declared fit he came into the NFL and began to carve up the defences with his well timed cuts and amazing speed, however, it was only a matter of time until the league caught onto this game plan and began stacking the line of scrimmage on defense

With this issue being identified, the 2016 NFL draft must focus their attention on making the ball game in St. Louis two-dimensional both on the ground and in the air. Therefore, the attention may turn to wide receivers, offensive linemen or a new quarterback.

Although new receivers will most certainly aid the passing game, along with an offensive linemen who can replace oft-injured Roger Saffold and offer good pass protection. It is the quarterback position which has been the biggest downfall for the Rams this season.

The Rams must make a decision about Nick Foles and Case Keenum alike, on their reliability, and if there are any promising quarterback prospects in the 2016 NFL draft who could partner with Gurley in a playoff run. The clear need in this draft is offense, particularly on the passing downs, and this begins with a reliable quarterback.

With two games left on the schedule for St. Louis, it is still important for the team to finish strong and search for the equal record of 8-8 to end the season. This team is capable of much more than what has been achieved this season, and if Snead and Fisher are able to find the right players in this next draft, the Rams could finally be ready for a playoff birth.

This season was disappointing for all fans, but the St. Louis faithful should count on the Rams to play to their full potential in their remaining two games of 2015, with two division matchup’s that carry a lot of pride in victory.