In the Tunnel: Same ol' sorry ass Rams

Since the departure of Mike "The Molester" Martz, I've heard the phrase "these aren't the Rams of old" thrown around quite a bit. Whenever I hear that, though, I don't think about Kurt Warner tossing bombs to Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, I think of Tony Banks getting absolutely brutalized every week and Tim Harris proclaiming, in a quote that now lives on forever, "Different town, same ol' SORRY ASS RAMS!"

I remember when the 49ers beat the Rams no less than 17 straight times, spanning over eight years, people! Those are the "Rams of old" that I think of. That Super Bowl win was an aberration, and I'm delighted to say that we may be seeing a return to the previous kind of futility for the NFC West rival. If Week 1 was any indication, this team is in big, big trouble.

These days, all conversations about the St. Louis Rams begin and end with running back Steven Jackson. Pegged to be the No. 2 fantasy player in most draft previews that I saw, Jackson has all the tools to be a huge factor in any game he plays. However, in Week 1, Carolina's exceptionally physical front seven really put a whipping on him and forced him to cough up the ball twice, equaling his fumble total from all of 2006. All of a sudden, Superman looks more human. The Rams say they're not worried, but do you really think they would tell us if they were?

Jackson is a dominant runner — we know this — but no man can do it alone, and the Rams offensive line is looking pretty rough these days. Left tackle stalwart Orlando Pace has just been shut down for the second consecutive year after injuring his shoulder, and right guard Richie Incognito is very iffy for this coming weekend with a bad ankle.

The Rams also jettisoned veteran guard Adam Timmerman in the off season, so they'll be playing with a lot of different faces in the huddle. Things are so muddled at this point, the Rams' official depth chart doesn't even list the left tackle position, and Incognito is still listed as starting.

Think this doesn't make a difference? Take a look at Shaun Alexander's production after the loss of Steve Hutchinson. That was only one guy, albeit a really dominating guy, and Alexander couldn't hold up to the abuse of tougher inside running. Jackson still must be accounted for, but for the second week in a row, the 49ers will be facing a less-than-intimidating offensive front.

The Rams passing game is still respectable, but not like it once was. Quarterback Marc Bulger and receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce still form an experienced and intimidating trio, but nobody's calling this unit "The Greatest Show On Turf" anymore. Holt and Bruce have both clearly lost a step, and I've never seen greatness from Bulger, even though he can put up big numbers.

The Rams brought in wide receiver Drew Bennett in the offseason from the Titans, and he does provide a dangerous third option, but in Week 1 against the Panthers he caught only three balls. A good pass rush should rattle Bulger and force him to make some throws into coverage, and I like the matchups the 49ers are getting for the most part, especially from a speed standpoint.

Defensively, you need to know one thing and one thing only about the Rams. They SUCK against the run. The Rams gave up over 180 yards rushing to the Panthers last week and seemed to get gashed week in and week out all of last season. They drafted defensive lineman Adam Carriker out of Nebraska this year to help remedy that problem, but he's still a ways off from being the cure for what ails the Rams' D.

The Rams run the 4-3 defense, and their entire front seven is simply not very big. Not one of their three starting linebackers is listed at over 242 pounds, and only one of their defensive lineman is over 300 pounds (Carriker). The average weight of the 49ers' offensive line is 319 pounds. In some matchups, the Rams are giving up almost 60 pounds man-to-man with the 49ers' linemen, and as I've said before, "Mass kicks ass."

The Rams aren't exactly stifiling in the pass defense department, either. Their two starting corners have started fewer than 20 games total, and in looking at their Week 1 statistics, the Rams' defensive backs are making just too many tackles. Too many tackles means that your opponent is running and getting into your secondary, and receivers are catching the ball and running as well — not good things. As I said last week, I'll be sorely disappointed if the 49ers' offense doesn't take advantage of some of the opportunities that the Rams will give them. It's just a matter of execution.

Playing on the road is always tough, and the Rams are a division rival, so there's little chance that the 49ers will catch them with their guard down. But they are dealing with some untimely injuries, and they've done little to solve their most glaring problems from last year.

I think if there was a good time to have to play the Rams on the road, it's right now while they're still reeling from the injury to Pace and coming off a disheartening loss to the Panthers. If the Niners' offense gets rolling, and by that I mean Gore gets running, then this one could turn into a good 'ol sorry ass Rams story.