It was kind of weird to see poor teams in prime time on Sunday night. I mean, it was better than watching American Dad. The game had a playoff spot on the line and still drew little interest. Despite being the last start of Sam Bradford's rookie season it is doubtful that it was a DVR worthy event in many households. It was too bad to see his last pass attempt intercepted as Chris Collinsworth said "this is his time to step and make a name for himself."
In the first half he was not making the throws he could. Checking down to often, and missing routine completions. This considered, think about where the Rams have come from. At this time last season there were thinking about whether to draft Bradford number one overall after finishing the previous season with one win. At 7-8 entering Sunday's night contest Bradford had a chance on national television to truly assert his presence; and he did just that.
The management and organization of the Rams has been in turmoil since the firing of Mike Martz in 2006. In 2007 they won three games under Scott Lineham. He would be fired in 2008 after an 0-4 start. The Rams won two games in '08. The only positive from all the losing is that road lead to Sam Bradford.
The Rams are simply a bad team, without Bradford this season they win no more than three games. Their receiving core is the worst in football. Their number one receiver is Brandon Gibson. A 6th round draft pick in '09 who has not scored a touchdown or gone over 70 yards since week 11. When Bradford starting going down the field there were three perfect balls that can be considered easy catches in the NFL. On the road, as a rookie, and without a consistent set of hands Bradford couldn't lead the Rams into the playoffs. Not only did Sunday night spotlight Bradford's talents, but it showed how bad the Rams are and just how valuable Bradford is to them. The Rams got an encroachment call on a 4th and 3 with 2:45 left on the clock and two timeouts left. The center didn't even move the ball for the Seahawks. A poor teams mistake.
It was to much for Bradford to overcome. He did everything he could in Sunday's game and is the cornerstone to build this franchise around. Manning, the one in the playoffs, didn't throw less than 14 interceptions until his sixth season. I'm not sorry for the Rams loss which led to another missed post season, but I did feel a little tinge of sadness for Sam Bradford.
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