Rams move closer to 8-8, further from impact draft pick

The St. Louis Rams went into Seattle and came out with a victory on Sunday for the first time in 10 years. The win moved the team to 7-8 on the season and with a finale set in San Francisco, the chances the Rams finish at 8-8 are higher than ever. Unfortunately, an 8-8 finish would be the best ever under current head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead.

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St. Louis came play on Sunday with a fast start and stronger finish. The finish was something that has certainly eluded them this year and years past. Since Fisher took over as head coach he has played the Seahawks well, but never quite well enough. Before Sunday’s win, St. Louis had been outscored by 36-points in the second half of the teams last three meetings, including a 20-0 second half shutout in 2014. The Rams win also ended the Seahawks win streak of 62-games in which they held a lead at some point during the game.

Once again, rookie running back Todd Gurley dragged this subpar offense kicking and screaming to a victory. Rushing against the league’s third best run defense Gurley was bottled up for most of the day. However, he broke off chunks in his methodical way and ended the day with 85-yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. His 85 rushing yards were the second highest output by a running back against Seattle this season and his 4.4 YPC was the third-best total.

The St. Louis defense also followed through on a complete effort. Linebacker Akeem Ayers finally made his presence felt recovering two of Seattle’s five fumbles. The Rams flirted with a couple turnovers, but center Tim Barnes recovered both St. Louis mishaps and the Rams ended with a plus three in the turnover category. No defense deserved a marquee win more than the St. Louis group did on Sunday.

Dec 27, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) spikes the football after scoring a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. The Rams won 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

With the victory the Rams eeked a little closer to the .500 mark on the season and will shortly begin preparations for the offseason. Just two weeks ago the discussion was how St. Louis would spend a top-ten draft selection. Now, the team has won their way into the 18^th overall selection, and it’s bitter sweet.

A well-earned victory against a division rival is always a nice touch to cap a season, but this team still has serious deficiencies that need to be addressed in the draft. Winning now is a temporary guise simply covering deeper issues. While this writer believes a change at the top of the coaching tree would serve this team better than anything, it seems Fisher and Snead will be returning for the sequel in 2016. That means they will be tasked with filling the gaping holes on the St. Louis roster.

The latest mock draft from Bleacher Report has the Rams selecting quarterback Connor Cook of Michigan State with the 18^th overall selection. While quarterback is certainly a need for St. Louis, it does not appear there are any quality long-term options that can be found at quarterback in this draft. The next, and more pressing need for the Ram’s, is wide receiver.

Reports are that wide receiver is another shallow position in the 2016 draft. However, it seems the number one wide out available, Laquon Treadwell of Ole Miss, has begun to slip down some draft boards. The draft mocking Cook to St. Louis at 18 has Washington selecting Treadwell three spots later at 21. Wouldn’t that be ironic? A team that mortgaged the future of their franchise in a swap with St. Louis just a few years ago could swoop in and end up with the player the Rams need the most.

A lot can, and will happen, between now and the 2016 NFL draft. Players will rise and fall and teams will do the same. It is frustrating to watch a team that gave up so much in Washington for a player they ultimately benched (Robert Griffin III) make the playoffs twice in four years as St. Louis squanders away yet another season.