2015 St. Louis Rams

The 2015 St. Louis Rams finished the season with a 7-9 record, marking another frustrating year of inconsistency. The team remained competitive in many games, particularly on defense, but struggled with offensive inefficiency and a lack of consistency at the quarterback position. The Rams showed some promise but ultimately couldn’t put it all together, leading to another subpar season.

Here are some key points about the 2015 St. Louis Rams:

1. Head Coach: Jeff Fisher

• Jeff Fisher was in his fourth season as head coach of the Rams. Fisher’s philosophy of building a strong defense and a balanced running game remained intact, but the offense continued to be a major issue.
• Fisher’s inability to resolve the quarterback situation, along with a lack of offensive playmakers, was a significant factor in the team’s lack of success.

2. Quarterback Situation

• Nick Foles, acquired in the offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles, was brought in to be the starting quarterback. However, Foles struggled with consistency throughout the season, and his performance fell far short of expectations.
  • Foles threw for 2,052 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, which was a disappointment for the Rams.
  • After poor performances, Case Keenum eventually replaced Foles as the starting quarterback in the second half of the season. Keenum showed some flashes of competence, throwing for 1,062 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions over 8 games as a starter.
• The Rams’ inability to establish stability at quarterback was a key reason for their offensive struggles.

3. Offense:

• The Rams’ offense continued to rely heavily on the running game, and Todd Gurley, the rookie running back, was the most significant bright spot for the offense.
  • Todd Gurley had an incredible debut season, rushing for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 13 games. He was one of the top rookie performers and quickly became the centerpiece of the offense.
  • Gurley’s explosive running ability kept the offense competitive, but the Rams lacked a consistent passing game to complement the running attack.
• Kenny Britt emerged as the top wide receiver, recording 1,002 yards and 5 touchdowns. However, the Rams’ receiving corps as a whole remained underwhelming, and they lacked a true No. 1 receiver.
• The offensive line was inconsistent. While they were solid in run blocking, they struggled with pass protection, which impacted both Foles and Keenum’s ability to make plays in the passing game.

4. Defense:

• The Rams’ defense remained one of the best in the NFL, and their defensive line was one of the most fearsome units in the league.
• Aaron Donald continued to dominate as one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. Donald finished the season with 11 sacks, solidifying his place as one of the top players at his position.
• Robert Quinn bounced back from an injury-plagued 2014 season to record 10.5 sacks, and Chris Long also contributed with 4 sacks before being traded to the New England Patriots at the end of the season.
• The Rams finished the season ranked 7th overall in total defense, and their pass rush, which combined for 44 sacks, was one of the most dangerous in the league.
• James Laurinaitis continued to be the heart of the defense at linebacker, and the secondary was solid, with Trumaine Johnson and E.J. Gaines serving as reliable cornerbacks.
• Despite the defense’s dominance, they often found themselves on the field too long due to the offense’s inability to stay on the field, which led to some games where the defense wore down late.

5. Special Teams:

• Johnny Hekker, the punter, continued to be a standout performer, earning All-Pro honors for the second time in his career. His ability to pin opponents deep in their own territory was crucial in the Rams’ field position battle.
• Greg Zuerlein had a solid year as the team’s kicker, converting 23 of 28 field goals, but he was occasionally inconsistent on longer attempts.

6. Key Games:

• Win over the Seattle Seahawks (Week 1): The Rams kicked off the season with an impressive 34-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks, largely thanks to an excellent defensive performance and a strong showing by Todd Gurley. It was a big win against a playoff contender.
• Win over the Arizona Cardinals (Week 4): The Rams shocked the Arizona Cardinals, defeating them 24-22. The Rams’ defense made key plays, and Gurley ran wild, contributing to an important victory against a division rival.
• Loss to the San Francisco 49ers (Week 13): Despite a strong defensive showing, the Rams fell short against the San Francisco 49ers in a 19-16 loss, continuing their trend of underperforming in close games.
• Loss to the Detroit Lions (Week 14): A key loss to the Detroit Lions, which included a frustrating loss in a game the Rams were favored to win, further solidified the team’s struggles in closing out games and being consistent.

7. Draft and Roster Moves:

• The Rams had a solid 2015 draft class. Most notably, they selected Todd Gurley (RB) in the first round, who had an immediate and profound impact on the offense.
• The Rams also selected Buddha Baker (S) later in the draft, though his contributions wouldn’t be fully realized until later in his career.
• The team made a key move by trading away Chris Long, marking a shift in their defensive line personnel.

8. Overall Outlook:

• The 2015 season was marked by some significant promise from individual players like Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald, but the team’s inability to settle on a consistent quarterback and a lack of offensive explosiveness limited their potential.
• While the defense was elite and kept the Rams competitive in many games, the offense was simply not good enough to support it consistently.
• With a 7-9 record, the Rams were stuck in mediocrity, unable to make the leap into the playoffs. The team showed some promise, especially on defense and with Gurley, but it was clear that significant improvements were needed at quarterback and in the passing game.

In conclusion, the 2015 St. Louis Rams were a team with a fantastic defense and a star rookie running back in Todd Gurley, but they were hindered by a lack of consistent quarterback play and offensive ineptitude. Despite these challenges, they showed flashes of potential and continued to be a tough team, especially against division rivals. The Rams needed to make key moves in the offseason, particularly at quarterback, to take the next step forward.

Head Coach: Jeff Fisher

• 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
S	31		Maurice Alexander	14	5	SS	2	02/16/1991	6′ 1″	220	Utah State
WR	11		Tavon Austin	16	14	WR+	3	03/15/1990	5′ 8″	176	West Virginia
LB	56		Akeem Ayers	16	11	RLB+	5	07/10/1989	6′ 3″	255	UCLA
WR	12		Stedman Bailey	8	3	WR	3	11/11/1990	5′ 10″	194	West Virginia
C	61		Tim Barnes	16	16	C+	4	05/14/1988	6′ 4″	306	Missouri
S	26		Mark Barron	16	12	NB+	4	10/27/1989	6′ 2″	213	Alabama
LB	53		Daren Bates	15	0		3	11/27/1990	5′ 11″	225	Auburn
WR	18		Kenny Britt	16	13	WR+	7	09/19/1988	6′ 3″	223	Rutgers
DT	90		Michael Brockers	16	16	RDT+	4	12/21/1990	6′ 5″	326	Louisiana State
G/T	68		Jamon Brown	9	9	LG/RG	R	03/15/1993	6′ 4″	323	Louisville
RB	39		Malcolm Brown	1	0		1	05/15/1993	5′ 11″	224	Texas
S	37		Christian Bryant	9	0		1	03/21/1992	5′ 9″	198	Ohio State
TE	89		Jared Cook	16	12	TE+	7	04/07/1987	6′ 5″	254	South Carolina
RB	36		Benny Cunningham	16	1	RB	3	07/07/1990	5′ 10″	217	Middle Tennessee State
TE	48		Justice Cunningham	2	0		2	01/14/1991	6′ 3″	258	South Carolina
S	38		Cody Davis	16	0		3	06/06/1989	6′ 1″	206	Texas Tech
DT	99		Aaron Donald	16	16	LDT+	2	05/23/1991	6′ 1″	285	Pittsburgh
T	64		Andrew Donnal	5	2	LG	R	03/03/1992	6′ 6″	316	Iowa
DT	98		Nick Fairley	15	0		5	01/23/1988	6′ 4″	308	Auburn
QB	5		Nick Foles	11	11	QB+	4	01/20/1989	6′ 6″	243	Arizona
C	67		Brian Folkerts	2	0		3	01/30/1990	6′ 4″	310	Washburn
WR	19		Chris Givens	3	0		4	12/06/1989	6′ 0″	203	Wake Forest
RB	30		Todd Gurley	13	12	RB+	R	08/03/1994	6′ 1″	227	Georgia
LB	54		Bryce Hager	16	0		R	05/04/1992	6′ 1″	235	Baylor
TE	46		Cory Harkey	16	6	TE	4	06/17/1990	6′ 4″	259	UCLA
T/G	79		Rob Havenstein	13	13	RT+	R	05/13/1992	6′ 8″	321	Wisconsin
DE	95		William Hayes	16	11	LDE+	8	05/02/1985	6′ 3″	278	Winston-Salem State (NC)
P	6		Johnny Hekker	16	0		4	02/08/1990	6′ 5″	236	Oregon State
K	2		Zach Hocker	2	0		1	08/23/1991	6′ 0″	191	Arkansas
CB	21		Janoris Jenkins	15	15	RCB+	4	10/29/1988	5′ 10″	198	North Alabama
CB	22		Trumaine Johnson	14	13	LCB+	4	01/01/1990	6′ 2″	208	Montana
CB	20		Lamarcus Joyner	16	5	DB/LCB/NB	2	11/27/1990	5′ 8″	184	Florida State
QB	17		Case Keenum	6	5	QB	3	02/17/1988	6′ 1″	205	Houston
TE	88		Lance Kendricks	15	12	TE+	5	01/30/1988	6′ 3″	250	Wisconsin
C/G	60		Eric Kush	7	0		2	09/09/1989	6′ 4″	313	California (PA)
LB	55		James Laurinaitis	16	16	MLB+/RLB	7	12/03/1986	6′ 2″	248	Ohio State
DE	91		Chris Long	12	5	LDE	8	03/28/1985	6′ 3″	268	Virginia
DE/LB	96		Matt Longacre	5	0		1	09/21/1991	6′ 3″	260	Northwest Missouri State
LB	50		Cameron Lynch	16	0		1	08/04/1993	6′ 0″	229	Syracuse
QB	14		Sean Mannion	1	0		R	04/25/1992	6′ 6″	233	Oregon State
WR	15		Bradley Marquez	16	1	WR	1	12/14/1992	5′ 10″	196	Texas Tech
RB	27		Tre Mason	13	3	RB	2	08/06/1993	5′ 8″	207	Auburn
S	25		T. J. McDonald	11	11	SS+	3	01/26/1991	6′ 2″	217	Southern California
S	23		Rodney McLeod	16	16	FS+	4	06/23/1990	5′ 10″	195	Virginia
LS	44		Jake McQuaide	16	0		5	12/07/1987	6′ 2″	244	Ohio State
LB	52		Alec Ogletree	4	4	LLB	3	09/25/1991	6′ 2″	245	Georgia
CB	24		Eric Patterson	1	0		1	02/05/1993	5′ 10″	193	Ball State
RB	24		Isaiah Pead	2	0		3	12/14/1989	5′ 10″	204	Cincinnati
WR	83		Brian Quick	13	3	WR	4	06/05/1989	6′ 3″	218	Appalachian State
DE	94		Robert Quinn	8	7	RDE	5	05/18/1990	6′ 4″	264	North Carolina
RB	34		Chase Reynolds	12	0		3	10/22/1987	6′ 0″	205	Montana
T/G	71		Garrett Reynolds	16	11	LG+/RT/RG	6	07/01/1987	6′ 7″	305	North Carolina
C/G	65		Demetrius Rhaney	16	1	LG	1	06/22/1992	6′ 2″	301	Tennessee State
CB	47		Marcus Roberson	16	4	LCB/RCB/NB	2	10/04/1992	6′ 0″	191	Florida
T/G	73		Greg Robinson	16	16	LT+	2	10/21/1992	6′ 5″	332	Auburn
T/G	76		Rodger Saffold	5	5	RG	6	06/06/1988	6′ 5″	332	Indiana
DE	97		Eugene Sims	13	9	RDE+	6	03/18/1986	6′ 6″	269	West Texas A&M
WR	81		Nick Toon	1	0		3	11/04/1988	6′ 4″	218	Wisconsin
RB	42		Trey Watts	1	0		2	02/13/1991	5′ 9″	208	Tulsa
WR	19		Wes Welker	8	0		12	05/01/1981	5′ 9″	185	Texas Tech
DT/DE	93		Ethan Westbrooks	13	0		2	11/15/1990	6′ 4″	267	West Texas A&M
G	69		Cody Wichmann	12	7	RG+	R	03/02/1992	6′ 5″	319	Fresno State
T	63		Darrell Williams	5	0		1	08/03/1993	6′ 5″	301	South Florida
DE	92		Doug Worthington	2	0		2	08/10/1987	6′ 5″	318	Ohio State
K	4		Greg Zuerlein	14	0		4	12/27/1987	6′ 0″	196	Missouri Western State