Rams' Circus Has Left Town
'Greatest Show on Turf' Has Been Replaced By New Faces and a More Balanced Offense
St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger, above, is struggling to replicate the success of Kurt Warner, left, a two-time NFL most valuable player.
(By Dilip Vishwanat -- Getty Images)
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There was a time when the swaggering Rams did not need subterfuge or even subtlety. They did not use play-action often or even emphasize a balanced running game to set up the pass. They were the "Greatest Show on Turf." Quarterback Kurt Warner won two MVP awards and a Super Bowl title. The receivers -- Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Az-Zahir Hakim, Ricky Proehl and running back Marshall Faulk -- produced historic numbers and were the most feared offensive unit in the game.
In 1998, the Rams went 4-12 and scored 285 points (17.8 per game), and their leading rusher was June Henley, who rushed 88 times for 313 yards. The next year, coach Dick Vermeil pulled off one of the biggest trades in history, trading their first-round pick to Indianapolis for Faulk. Then Warner appeared from nowhere, and the Rams took off in 1999. They went 13-3, scored 526 points (32.8 per game) and beat Tennessee in the Super Bowl. The Rams scored 540 points in 2000 and 503 points in 2001, losing the Super Bowl to New England in the biggest upset in recent Super Bowl history.
But those Rams are a memory. First-year coach Scott Linehan emphasizes the running game and the passing game equally. "We're not as high-flying as we were in the past," said Holt.
The Rams started 4-1, then lost five in a row, including two last-second losses to division rival Seattle. A 34-20 home loss to Arizona in Week 13 set off quarterback Marc Bulger, who blasted teammates and himself for lack of focus. At 6-8, the Rams have lost seven of their last nine games.
But the Rams still throw the ball. Bulger has been prolific, throwing for 3,665 yards and 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions. Holt has 1,044 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, while Steven Jackson has reprised Faulk's old role, with 82 receptions to go with 1,236 rushing yards.
