This Week In Rams History: The 2007 St. Louis Rams
Here in October/November of 2017, it’s finally exciting to be a Rams fan again. We’re off to a great 5-2 start under the guidance of dynamic head coach Sean McVay and his versatile cadre of young playmakers, headlined by Todd Gurley and Jared Goff. After some early season shaky play, the defense is rounding into form and, despite a daunting schedule ahead, optimism abounds in LA.
I’ve seen a few Rams fans on Twitter concerned about fairweather fans jumping on the bandwagon. Given attendance at our home games, I say the more the merrier. We need all the help we can get to turn this early season promise into a playoff berth. Plus, it’s likely that those of us who have stuck with them through the lean years will appreciate success even more — especially those of us who were excited ten years ago, for the start of the 2007 season. Fitting that I’m taking this look back into Rams history on Halloween, because this season was definitely a nightmare.
It may have started with the offseason. Though the 2006 Rams rallied to win their final three games, Scott Linehan’s roster was clearly in need of some upgrades. Enter Drew “The Bust” Bennett, whose 6-year $30 million deal paid him about 1 million dollars per catch. We also brought on household names tight end Randy McMichael, defensive end James Hall, safety Todd Johnson, and punter Donnie Jones, who in all fairness was a poor man’s Johnny Hekker. We didn’t fare much better in the draft, landing Nebraska defensive tackle Adam Carriker (whom we almost immediately turned into a defensive tackle) at #13 overall. We then reached for Rutgers fullback Brian Leonard, whose career produced 6th-round results, most of them as a Bengal. Remember lightning-fast CornerbackJonathan Wade, nasty run-blocking center Dustin Fry, or “first-round talent with some off the field problems” defensive tackle Clifton Ryan? Barely, right?
The remaining “talent,” after Marshall Faulk’s offseason retirement, was a cast of ‘shadow of their former selves’ GSOT holdovers, has-beens and never-weres, save for Steven Jackson. Though Torry “Big Game” Holt would go on to represent the Rams in the Pro Bowl, this team was cursed from the start, as Orlando Pace suffered a season-ending injury in Week one. Marc Bulger was getting rag-dolled routinely behind Alex Barron’s turnstile blocking. Jackson once again eeked out 1000 yards, but lashed out at the team during the season, even criticizing the music played at the Edward Jones Dome (he would hold out prior to 2008). Defensively, O.J. Atogwe was becoming a nice player in the secondary, but free agent acquisition Corey Chavous was an expensive mistake, and the cornerback duo of Ron Bartell and Fakhir Brown were simply outmatched most weeks. Even Leonard Little, one of the most underrated (and controversial) Rams of all-time, managed just one sack in an injury-shortened season.
On Halloween in 2007, the St. Louis Rams were 0-8, after losing to the lowly Cleveland Browns en route to a 3-13 record where they would finish 28th in total offense and 21st in total defense. The Patriots went 16-0, only to lose to Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress and the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
This bandwagon is big enough for all of us, Rams fans. But this Halloween, let’s all be thankful for these exciting and competitive 2017 Rams and not the horror show that took the field ten years ago.
W. Scott Wagner is a staff writer for cover32.com/Rams and covers the Los Angeles Rams. Like and follow on Follow @hotdaddywags Follow @cover32_LAR
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