15 Jan 11 St. Louis Rams "Honeymoon is over for Haslett in St. Louis"

The honeymoon is over for head coach Jim Haslett and the St. Louis Rams. Haslett was the NFL's feel-good story earlier this season after he took over for the fired Scott Linehan, who amassed an 0-4 record, and quickly defeated the Redskins and Cowboys. More importantly, the team that had looked so listless under Linehan seemed to be playing with pride and more effort under Haslett;s intense personality.All of that disappeared in the Rams; 47-3 debacle against the New York Jets on Sunday. St. Louis was embarrassed, disgraced, outclassed and every Reebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
other adjective you can think of in a game in which it trailed 40-0 at halftime.Commentary: Haslett couldn't motivate the down-and-out Rams at halftime. St. Louis played as poorly in the second half against the Jets as it did in the first. Things got so bad for the Rams that starting quarterback Marc Bulger -- who completed 6 of 13 passes and tossed an interception -- was benched and replaced by Trent Green. He didn;t fare much better, completing five of his 10 throws with a pick.Playing without star running back Steven Jackson, the Rams couldn;t mount any ground attack. Kenneth Darby was the team;s leading rusher with 32 yards on four carries. Meanwhile, Thomas Jones was slicing and dicing through the nonexistent St. Louis defense for 149 yards and three touchdowns.Fan Pulse: Fans who were already growing impatient with Bulger seem ready to send him to the bench for the rest of the season. Fantasy Football Impact: If you haven;t already abandoned every Ram in your fantasy league except Jackson and Donnie Avery, then do so now. Bulger is finished as a fantasy option in St. Louis this season and Torry Holt continues to be MIA.Injury Report: Until Jackson returns, the Rams have little hope of winning a game. Jackson is still nursing his sore quadriceps and it still isn;t known whether he will return this week against San Francisco. Antonio Pittman, who was second in line behind Jackson in the backfield, wasn;t fully healed from his hamstring injury. Pittman played against the Jets, but he was at less than full strength. (2) Not manyReebok Oakland Raiders #21 Nnamdi Asomugha Realtree camo Jersey
people outside of Missouri know it, but St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger is changing his uniform number for Sunday;s game against the New York Jets. Bugler, who normally wears No. 10, is going with something that will more aptly describe what he is going to face this weekend ; a bull;s-eye. Bulger will have a big, red target on his jersey so defensive lineman Kris Jenkins and his fellow Jet teammates will know exactly where to head on every play.Commentary: Why is Bulger such a target against New York this week? Because it is looking more likely that All-Pro running back Steven Jackson will be sidelined with his quadriceps injury. Further complicating things for Bulger is the fact that backup Antonio Pittman, who filled in for Jackson two weeks ago with 83 yards, is also nursing an injured leg (hamstring). Wait, there;s more: Third-string running back Travis Minor is feeling the effects of a concussion and probably won;t be cleared to play for St. Louis.Now are you getting the picture of why Bulger is going to have a target on his back? Kenneth Darby and his whopping career total of 9 NFL yards may get the start for the Rams at the tailback position. The team signed Samkon Gado this week and he may also get a shot at running the ball.The fact is is that the Jets are going to dare Bulger to throw the football. And if St. Louis can;t run the ball, look for 350-pound nose tackle Jenkins to overwhelm undersized Rams center Nick Leckey, who weighs in at about 295 pounds.Fan Pulse: Most fans are not optimistic about the Rams' chances without Jackson and Pittman. It is rare for a team to lose its first three running back options, and it doesn;t help that St. Louis is playing a hot New York team that is strong against the run.Fantasy Impact: If, for some strange reason, Jackson isReebok Pittsburgh Steelers #86 Hines Ward Realtree camo Jersey
able to play against the Jets, put him on your fantasy bench at all costs. The Jets are fourth in the league in run defense and Jackson with a bum leg doesn;t make for good fantasy numbers. Don;t look for Bulger to light up the fantasy scoreboard, either. In fact, it might be a good week to put all of your Ram players on the bench.Injury Report: As mentioned above, Jackson is still questionable for the New York game. Wide receiver Drew Bennett is gone for the season, as is special teams player Dante Hall. (0)