Rams fight off Saints, shed winless title

Lithonia Team of the Week:

Rams coach Scott Linehan had the final word on his team’s 37–29 upset of the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome: “I never thought 1–8 would feel so good.”

We won’t begrudge Linehan and his formerly inept Rams their good feelings. That’s what comes from earning your first win nine games into the season. The specter of 0–16 was hanging over the Rams, who were only a shadow of the “Greatest Show on Turf” that played its way into two Super Bowl appearances earlier this century. With a surprisingly aggressive defensive performance, and an offense that cracked the 400-yard barrier for the first time this season, the Rams left the Miami Dolphins in the unenviable position as the NFL’s sole winless team.

The win was especially sweet for quarterback Mark Bulger, who finally looked like the player for whom the Rams opened the vault back in July. Bulger was virtually flawless, completing 27-of-33 passes for 302 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He spread the ball effectively among wide receivers Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce and Drew Bennett and also involved tight end Randy McMichael, who caught a touchdown pass, although it came from running back Steven Jackson and not from Bulger.

Holt, Bruce, Jackson and Bulger. Seems like I’ve heard those names before.

It was like old times for the veteran playmakers. Jackson’s return from injury was a success, as he rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown in addition to his scoring toss. In all, the Rams rushed for 133 yards, opening up spaces in the passing game for Holt, who caught eight passes for 124 yards, and Bruce, who caught four for 62 and a touchdown.

But the most satisfied man in the building had to be former Saints coach and current St. Louis defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, who after a rousing start to his head coaching career in the Big Easy endured the catastrophe of Katrina and the displacement of 2005 before giving way to Sean Payton. “To be honest with you, I didn’t think I’d ever come back here,” Haslett said. “I kind of avoided the city, not the people, but the city.”

But Haslett did come back, and he brought a brilliant game plan with him for derailing a hot offense that had led the Saints to four straight wins. The Rams blitzed early and often, forcing Saints quarterback Drew Brees into two interceptions and ending two drives with sacks and another with an intentional grounding penalty. Haslett estimated afterwards that he blitzed on 16 of New Orleans’ first 18 offensive plays.

“Defensively, I think they had a plan for us,” Brees said. “They executed that plan very well. They did a great job of getting pressure, and their offense really helped the defense out by staying on the field.”

Most of the Saints’ points and yardage came during a desperate fourth-quarter comeback attempt after St. Louis had taken a 34–7 lead, a comeback that finally ended with a failed onside kick attempt with less than a minute left. On the day, the Saints, who had climbed back into the playoff hunt after an 0–4 start, rushed for only 43 yards, with Reggie Bush providing no big plays and little production.

Haslett even heard a familiar sound from the home crowd — boos, which rained down during his tenure on more than one occasion. “I’ve seen that before,” he said. “That’s how they are … but they are good fans. They know their football, they live and die with it, so you’ve got to appreciate that.” Of course, not nearly as much as Haslett appreciated being the cause of those boos.