NEW ORLEANS – You don’t have to be a “big name” to succeed in the NFL. You don’t have to be from a “big school.” But it can’t hurt apparently. Or maybe it can’t help in some cases.
The Rams are 1-7. They’re on an eight game home losing streak. Their only victory this season came two weeks ago before their bye week over similarly-lowly Detroit. That broke a 17-game losing streak overall.
Examine the Rams roster and you can see why they’ve been so recently downtrodden. The overall talent level on this team is sub-standard to put it kindly.
Steven Jackson, Leonard Little, Chris Long, James Laurinaitis – quality players every team would want. As for the rest, can you name one Rams wide receiver?
You used to fear the likes of Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Ricky Proehl. Former second round pick Donnie Avery in 2009 leads the wide receivers in touchdowns with two, the only two a wide receiver has caught this season.
Big names. The Rams have some in Victor Adeyanju, K.C. Asiodu, Oshiomogho Atogwe, and Leger Douzable. Big in syllable, but not in stature.
Big schools. Not too many. Ram alma maters include Howard, North Dakota State, Missouri Western State, Saginaw Valley State, and West Texas A&M.
The talent discrepancy between these two teams is most pronounced in scoring, where the Saints average 38 points per game, best in the NFL. The Rams average nine points per game, worst in the NFL.
The task for the Saints is to leave the Edward Jones Dome Sunday night with the many Ram regulars as anonymous as the Saints found them Sunday afternoon.
