2009 St. Louis Rams

The 2009 St. Louis Rams had another disappointing season, finishing with a 1-15 record, marking one of the worst seasons in franchise history. The team continued to struggle in nearly every aspect of the game, and the season ultimately led to the firing of head coach Jim Haslett after he served as the interim head coach in 2008. The 2009 Rams were in the midst of a major rebuilding phase and had significant weaknesses on both offense and defense.

 

Regular Season:

• Record: The Rams finished with a 1-15 record, the worst in the NFL that season. Their only win came in a 17-10 victory over the Washington Redskins in Week 4.

Coaching:

• Jim Haslett: Haslett, who had been the interim head coach in 2008 after Scott Linehan’s firing, was retained as the full-time head coach in 2009. However, despite his best efforts, the Rams could not improve, and his tenure ended with the team finishing with a 1-15 record. Haslett was fired after the season.

• The 2009 season marked the end of Haslett’s time as the head coach of the Rams, and the team would begin the search for a new leader, ultimately hiring Steve Spagnuolo in 2010 to try to turn the franchise around.

Offense:

• Quarterback Play: The Rams’ quarterback situation was a major issue in 2009. The team started the season with Marc Bulger, but after he struggled with injuries and poor performance, he was eventually replaced by Kyle Boller and A.J. Feeley. Both Boller and Feeley also struggled to provide any stability at the quarterback position.

  • Marc Bulger played in 9 games, throwing for 1,646 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, but his performance was far below the level the Rams needed to be competitive.
  • Kyle Boller and A.J. Feeley also had uninspiring seasons, combining for inconsistent play that further hurt the offense. The Rams’ lack of a reliable quarterback was a significant issue that contributed to the team’s poor performance.

• Steven Jackson: Steven Jackson remained the team’s brightest offensive player and a true workhorse. He rushed for 1,416 yards and 4 touchdowns, proving once again that he was one of the top running backs in the league. Jackson also contributed in the passing game, with 322 receiving yards and another 2 touchdowns.

  • Jackson’s ability to perform at such a high level in a season where the Rams were struggling offensively was one of the few bright spots for the team. However, his individual success was not enough to elevate the overall offense.

• Wide Receivers: The receiving corps was another weak point for the Rams. Torry Holt, the Rams’ longtime star receiver, had departed the previous season, leaving the team without a true No. 1 option. Donnie Avery was the top receiver in 2009, but he had an underwhelming year with just 589 yards and 1 touchdown.

  • The Rams also relied on Keven Curtis and Dante Hall, but neither player had a major impact on the offense. Overall, the lack of a dynamic receiving threat made it easy for opposing defenses to focus on shutting down the running game and putting pressure on the quarterbacks.

• Offensive Line: The offensive line, which had been an issue for the Rams in previous seasons, continued to struggle in 2009. The Rams allowed 49 sacks, one of the highest totals in the league, and the lack of protection for the quarterbacks and room for Steven Jackson to operate hurt the offense’s efficiency.

Defense:

• The 2009 Rams’ defense was one of the worst in the league, ranking 30th in total defense and allowing 27.4 points per game. The defense could not stop the run or the pass, and the team struggled to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

• Pass Rush: The Rams’ pass rush was virtually nonexistent, recording just 17 sacks on the season, the second-fewest in the NFL. Without a consistent pass rush, opposing quarterbacks had plenty of time to make plays, which compounded the issues for the defense.

• Secondary Struggles: The Rams’ secondary was also a major liability, struggling to cover opposing receivers. Ron Bartell was the team’s most consistent cornerback, but the secondary as a whole was often overmatched and allowed big plays.

• Linebackers: The linebacking corps, led by Will Witherspoon, was one of the stronger units on the defense, but they could not overcome the defensive line’s inability to generate pressure or the secondary’s coverage issues. The defense as a whole was simply outmatched by most opponents.

Special Teams:

• Jeff Wilkins had a solid year as the team’s kicker, converting 25 of 30 field goals, but the lack of a competitive offense and the struggles on defense meant that the special teams could not make much of an impact.

• Dante Hall was brought in to help with return duties, but he was not able to provide the spark the Rams needed on special teams. Overall, the Rams’ special teams did not make a major difference in their overall performance.

Key Players:

• Steven Jackson: Jackson was the clear offensive standout for the Rams in 2009. Despite the team’s struggles, Jackson was a workhorse and a consistent performer, continuing to be one of the league’s top running backs.

• Torry Holt: After leaving the Rams before the 2009 season, Holt had been one of the most consistent players in the team’s history, but the Rams were without him in 2009, leaving a void at the wide receiver position.

• Marc Bulger: Bulger, once considered the face of the franchise, struggled in 2009 due to injuries and declining performance. His inability to lead the offense was a key reason for the Rams’ struggles.

• Chris Long: The Rams’ 2008 first-round pick, defensive end Chris Long, showed flashes of potential in his second season but was unable to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Long had 5 sacks in 2009 but was part of a pass rush that struggled as a whole.

• Ron Bartell: Bartell was the Rams’ top cornerback in 2009, providing some stability in the secondary, but the defense as a whole was unable to cover or generate enough pressure to be effective.

Summary:

The 2009 St. Louis Rams were a team in complete disarray, finishing with a 1-15 record and one of the worst performances in franchise history. Marc Bulger and the quarterback position were major weaknesses, and despite a strong season from Steven Jackson, the offense could not get anything going consistently. The defense was equally poor, with no pass rush and a secondary that allowed big plays.

The Rams were in the midst of a full-scale rebuild, and the firing of Jim Haslett after the season marked the beginning of a new chapter for the franchise. The Rams would go on to hire Steve Spagnuolo as their new head coach in 2010, hoping to turn the team around. However, the 2009 season was yet another step backward for a franchise that had fallen far from its glory days in the early 2000s.

Head Coach: Steve Spagnuolo

• To be listed, a player must have played at least one game for the team during this season.
• + Primary starter

Pos	#		Player	GP	GS	Start Pos	Exp	DOB	Ht	Wt	College
DE	94		Victor Adeyanju	10	1	LDE	4	02/11/1983	6′ 4″	284	Indiana
DT/DE	98		C. J. Ah You	8	1	LDT	1	07/07/1982	6′ 4″	270	Oklahoma
G	62		Roger Allen	2	1	LG	1	02/10/1986	6′ 3″	323	Missouri Western State
WR	16		Danny Amendola	14	2	WR	1	11/02/1985	5′ 11″	186	Texas Tech
LB	50		K. C. Asiodu	10	0		1	11/24/1986	6′ 2″	225	Central Oklahoma
S	21		Oshiomogho Atogwe	12	12	FS+	5	06/23/1981	5′ 11″	205	Stanford
WR	17		Donnie Avery	16	16	WR+	2	06/12/1984	5′ 11″	183	Houston
TE	47		Billy Bajema	16	5	TE	5	10/31/1982	6′ 4″	259	Oklahoma State
T	70		Alex Barron	16	16	LT+	5	09/28/1982	6′ 7″	302	Florida State
CB	24		Ron Bartell	15	15	LCB+	5	02/22/1982	6′ 1″	206	Howard
G	63		Jacob Bell	13	13	LG+	6	03/02/1981	6′ 5″	300	Miami (OH)
QB	12		Kyle Boller	7	4	QB	6	06/17/1981	6′ 3″	218	California
C/G	60		Jason Brown	16	16	C+	5	05/05/1983	6′ 3″	328	North Carolina
K	3		Josh Brown	16	0		7	04/29/1979	6′ 0″	205	Nebraska
QB	10		Marc Bulger	9	8	QB+	8	04/05/1977	6′ 3″	208	West Virginia
WR	14		Keenan Burton	9	6	WR+	2	10/29/1984	6′ 0″	206	Kentucky
S	37		James Butler	13	13	SS+	5	09/07/1982	6′ 3″	209	Georgia Tech
CB	36		Quincy Butler	14	7	RCB+/NB/DB	3	11/25/1981	6′ 1″	188	Texas Christian
WR	15		Tim Carter	2	0		7	09/21/1979	6′ 0″	185	Auburn
LB	57		Chris Chamberlain	16	0		2	09/30/1985	6′ 1″	230	Tulsa
LB	53		Quinton Culberson	1	0		3	10/21/1985	6′ 1″	236	Mississippi State
S	43		Craig Dahl	14	8	FS/SS/NB	2	06/17/1985	6′ 1″	209	North Dakota State
RB	34		Kenneth Darby	16	1	RB	3	12/26/1982	5′ 10″	219	Alabama
LB	54		Dominic Douglas	4	0		1	01/13/1987	6′ 1″	229	Mississippi State
DT/DE	69		Leger Douzable	12	1	LDT	1	05/31/1986	6′ 4″	305	Central Florida
TE	46		Daniel Fells	14	4	TE	2	09/23/1983	6′ 4″	272	California – Davis
CB	32		Bradley Fletcher	7	3	RCB	R	06/25/1986	6′ 0″	198	Iowa
RB	35		Samkon Gado	15	0		5	11/13/1982	5′ 10″	227	Liberty (VA)
WR	11		Brandon Gibson	9	3	WR	R	08/13/1987	6′ 0″	210	Washington State
DT	71		Gary Gibson	5	5	LDT+	3	05/05/1982	6′ 3″	300	Rutgers
T/G	73		Adam Goldberg	16	14	RT+/RG	6	08/12/1980	6′ 7″	309	Wyoming
CB	25		Danny Gorrer	3	1	NB	1	06/01/1986	6′ 0″	185	Texas A&M
LB	59		Larry Grant	16	0		2	02/16/1985	6′ 1″	251	Ohio State
G/T	79		John Greco	11	3	RG	2	03/24/1985	6′ 4″	329	Toledo
DE	96		James Hall	14	14	RDE+	10	02/04/1977	6′ 2″	281	Michigan
S	42		Clinton Hart	3	0		7	07/20/1977	6′ 0″	208	Central Florida
G/C	68		Richie Incognito	9	9	RG+	4	07/05/1983	6′ 3″	324	Nebraska
RB	39		Steven Jackson	15	15	RB+	6	07/22/1983	6′ 2″	236	Oregon State
P	5		Donnie Jones	16	0		6	07/05/1980	6′ 2″	225	Louisiana State
WR	18		Nate Jones	1	0		1	12/30/1985	6′ 2″	195	Texas
FB	44		Mike Karney	14	8	FB+	6	07/06/1981	5′ 11″	260	Arizona State
WR	87		Jordan Kent	5	0		2	07/24/1984	6′ 4″	219	Oregon
CB	31		Justin King	15	7	RCB/LCB/NB	1	05/11/1987	5′ 11″	188	Penn State
LB	55		James Laurinaitis	16	16	MLB+	R	12/03/1986	6′ 2″	247	Ohio State
LB	53		Paris Lenon	15	10	WLB+/SLB	8	11/26/1977	6′ 2″	235	Richmond
DE/LB	91		Leonard Little	13	13	LDE+	12	10/19/1974	6′ 3″	267	Tennessee
DE	72		Chris Long	16	4	RDE/LDE	2	03/28/1985	6′ 3″	276	Virginia
WR	82		Ruvell Martin	8	0		4	08/10/1982	6′ 4″	220	Saginaw Valley State
RB	45		Chris Massey	7	0		8	08/21/1979	6′ 0″	237	Marshall
TE	84		Randy McMichael	16	16	TE+	8	06/28/1979	6′ 3″	246	Georgia
C	92		Ryan Neill	9	0		3	12/12/1982	6′ 3″	253	Rutgers
QB	9		Keith Null	4	4	QB	R	09/24/1985	6′ 4″	219	West Texas A&M
RB	22		Chris Ogbonnaya	2	0		R	05/20/1986	6′ 0″	220	Texas
CB	23		Cord Parks	2	0		1	11/12/1986	5′ 10″	178	Northeastern
DT	99		LaJuan Ramsey	15	5	LDT/RDT	4	03/19/1984	6′ 3″	300	Southern California
S	27		David Roach	15	0		1	08/09/1985	6′ 2″	216	Texas Christian
WR	11		Laurent Robinson	3	3	WR	3	05/20/1985	6′ 2″	197	Illinois State
DT/NT	95		Clifton Ryan	16	15	RDT+	3	02/18/1984	6′ 3″	324	Michigan State
NT/DT	97		Darell Scott	11	5	LDT	1	03/15/1986	6′ 3″	315	Clemson
G	66		Mark Setterstrom	9	3	LG/RG	3	03/03/1984	6′ 4″	318	Minnesota
S	26		Anthony Smith	2	0		4	09/20/1983	6′ 0″	200	Syracuse
T	77		Jason Smith	8	5	RT	R	04/30/1986	6′ 5″	307	Baylor
WR	19		Derek Stanley	2	0		3	08/27/1985	5′ 11″	182	Wisconsin – Whitewater
DT	93		Hollis Thomas	3	0		13	01/10/1974	6′ 0″	340	Northern Illinois
T	64		Phil Trautwein	4	0		1	04/15/1986	6′ 6″	308	Florida
LB	58		David Vobora	12	10	SLB+	2	04/08/1986	6′ 1″	239	Idaho
CB	20		Jonathan Wade	15	4	RCB	3	03/27/1984	5′ 10″	198	Tennessee
LB	51		Will Witherspoon	6	6	WLB	8	08/19/1980	6′ 1″	239	Georgia
DE	76		James Wyche	1	0		1	04/19/1982	6′ 5″	279	Syracuse