St. Louis Rams: What Happened To The Weapons?

The St. Louis Rams have dropped three consecutive games, falling to 4-6 on the season and looking another lost season in the face. In those three games, the Rams averaged just over 14 points per game and have scored just one touchdown through the air. With the ineptitude of the passing game being on full display, one has to start asking – What has happened to the Rams weapons on the outside?

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Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Brian Quick, Jared Cook and Lance Kendricks were supposed to lead an offense that was going to stretch the field in 2015. Adding Wes Welker was supposed to help With Nick Foles under center, the Rams offense was supposed to be an attacking offense that stretched the field and then beat teams on the ground with Todd Gurley. With Gurley performing extremely well through the start of his rookie season, the receiving group has yet to break through in 2015.

Nov 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) carries the ball during the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Rams 21-18. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The lone exception to this equation has been Tavon Austin. Austin has started to show the skill set that made him the 8th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Austin has a team-high 31 receptions for 310 yards and a team-high four touchdowns.

Aside from Austin, the receivers and tight ends of the Rams have combined for just four touchdowns. The team’s total of eight passing touchdowns is tied for the lowest mark in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings. They have two touchdowns from Kendricks, largely known as a blocking tight end, to go with one touchdown each from Britt and Bailey.

That leaves that Brian Quick, Jared Cook, Bradley Marquez and Wes Welker as receiving options that have not yet found the end zone.

As a team, the Rams do not have a single player averaging more than 35 yards per game receiving. They have been paced by Kenny Britt’s 34.1 yards per game – a mark that would place him 93rd in the NFL in receiving yards per game amongst qualifying receivers, but Britt does not qualify as he has not grabbed 20 receptions yet. The highest qualifying player on the Rams is Jared Cook, who ranks tied for 99th in the NFL with Shane Vereen of the New York Giants at 32.1 yards per game.

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These problems have led to the Rams averaging a league-worst 174 yards per game. It has also forced them to make a quarterback change from Nick Foles, who St. Louis traded for in the offseason, to Case Keenum. The change, however was not successful due to the lack of receiving talent. Keenum completed just 12 passes for 136 yards on the day. This number dropped to just five receptions for 42 yards from receivers.

Arguably the most confusing failure among the receiving group has been from Brian Quick. Quick was coming into form in 2014 before a shoulder injury ended his season and threatened his career. With a return to health in Training Camp, many thought Quick was destined for a career year. That has not happened, as Quick has just four receptions on 15 targets in 2015. This leaves a massive void across from Britt, especially with Bailey not in the lineup.

Next: Can Todd Gurley carry team vs. Bengals?

Can any of the receivers step into a larger role in the coming weeks? Can Foles or Keenum will the offense into a better position? With the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals directly in front of the Rams on the schedule, it appears unlikely. If the team, and receivers do not improve quickly, it could be another lost season in St. Louis.