sorry i don't have a link, but found posted on rams homer board... post it mainly because they seem cognizant of the fact that jackson gets better and the rams are better when he gets 20+ carries... this is the first time i have read the OC period, & the first i have heard one of the principals in coaching staff (including linehan, of course) quantify the number of carries they would like to get jackson (posted by Ram Bill)...
Offensive upgrade is goal for Rams
By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Wednesday, May. 10 2006
After running parallel courses since being born six months apart in 1963, Scott
Linehan and Greg Olson finally have landed in the same place: Linehan is the
Rams' new head coach; Olson is his offensive coordinator.
Their trek began in small towns about 10 miles apart in eastern Washington.
Linehan grew up in Sunnyvale, Olson in Richland. Each was a quarterback in high
school.
"We didn't play together or against each other," Olson said. "But we knew of
each other."
More similarities followed.
"I worked with Dennis Erickson at Washington State, and Scott had played for
Dennis" at Idaho, Olson said. "Scott would come to practices before he got into
coaching, and I got to know him a little bit there. Scott was hired (as an
assistant) at Idaho, and when he left I took his position there."
Both continued as assistants in college, Linehan at Washington and Louisville,
Olson at Central Washington and Purdue. Linehan got his first shot in the pros
in 2002, with Minnesota; Olson moved up to the NFL in 2001, with San Francisco.
Linehan, 42, arrived in St. Louis from Miami, where he'd been offensive
coordinator. Olson, 43, came from Detroit, where he'd coached the quarterbacks.
Now, they share a goal: reviving a Rams outfit that has had just one .500-plus
season in the last four. Part of that task is reconstructing an offense that
charged into the new millennium as the scourge of the league, the explosive
"Greatest Show on Turf."
But the blissful seasons of 1999, 2000 and 2001, when the Rams went a combined
37-11 in the regular season and led the NFL in total offense each year, are
fading quickly. In the last four seasons, the Rams were 33-31, their records
reflecting the decreased potency of their attack.
Olson has sketched out a plan aimed at restoring the luster. It includes:
Keeping quarterback Marc Bulger, who missed a total of 10 games over
the past two seasons because of injuries to his throwing shoulder, on his feet.
Getting the tight ends more involved in what still is a dangerous
passing attack.
Getting first-team running back Steven Jackson at least 20 touches
per game, with able support (10 to 12 touches) from Marshall Faulk.
"We're going to address . . . how many situations we're putting (Bulger) in
where he's vulnerable to being hit," Olson said. "Any time you put in a game
plan, those are the first things that come about, protections. How are we going
to protect our quarterback? Obviously, that will be a priority."
Also, Bulger will be allowed to audible, a luxury he didn't have under former
coach Mike Martz. That should allow him to check out of some perilous
situations.
When healthy, Bulger ranks among the league's elite, Olson maintained.
"He has such great anticipation, and he's extremely accurate. I think he's got
some special qualities," Olson said.
Bulger's targets in recent years have been almost exclusively wideouts and
backs. Last year, Rams tight ends caught 22 passes, a total that Olson
considers "low for that position for the offense that we'll be running."
The team drafted two tight ends, Colorado's Joe Klopfenstein in the second
round and Southern California's Dominique Byrd in the third. It traded starter
Brandon Manumaleuna to San Diego.
"It was an area we felt like we needed to address," Olson said. "But we're not
going to force-feed these tight ends. They're young, and we'll slowly bring
them along. . . . But I would probably be disappointed if they didn't, between
the two of them, have more than 22 catches."
In 2005, his first season as the team's primary back, Jackson got as many as 20
carries just three times; he averaged 129 yards as the Rams went 3-0 in those
games. Their record was 1-3 when he had 12 carries or fewer.
"If you can get the ball to him 20 times or more, he seems to get better,"
Olson said. "We think that's a good number to shoot for. He's one of our
primary weapons that needs to get (more) touches."
In his limited role last year, Faulk carried 65 times and caught 44 passes.
Faulk, 33, had "clean-up" surgery on both knees after his 12th NFL season and
missed last month's minicamp.
"We're anticipating that he's going to come back healthy," Olson said. "We
still think he's going to be good for 10 to 12 touches a game and can still be
an explosive player in that role."
* * *
Where the Rams have ranked in the 32-team NFL in total offense, beginning
with 1998, a year before their Super Bowl championship season:
1998
Rank: 27th
Record: 4-12
Playoffs: Did not qualify
1999
Rank: 1st
Record: 13-3
Playoffs: Won Super Bowl
2000
Rank: 1st
Record: 10-6
Playoffs: Lost in wild-card game
2001
Rank: 1st
Record: 14-2
Playoffs: Lost in Super Bowl
2002
Rank: 13th
Record: 7-9
Playoffs: Did not qualify
2003
Rank: 9th
Record: 12-4
Playoffs: Lost in NFC semifinals
2004
Rank: 6th
Record: 8-8
Playoffs: Lost in NFC semifinals
2005
Rank: 9th
Record: 6-10
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Offensive upgrade is goal for Rams
By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Wednesday, May. 10 2006
After running parallel courses since being born six months apart in 1963, Scott
Linehan and Greg Olson finally have landed in the same place: Linehan is the
Rams' new head coach; Olson is his offensive coordinator.
Their trek began in small towns about 10 miles apart in eastern Washington.
Linehan grew up in Sunnyvale, Olson in Richland. Each was a quarterback in high
school.
"We didn't play together or against each other," Olson said. "But we knew of
each other."
More similarities followed.
"I worked with Dennis Erickson at Washington State, and Scott had played for
Dennis" at Idaho, Olson said. "Scott would come to practices before he got into
coaching, and I got to know him a little bit there. Scott was hired (as an
assistant) at Idaho, and when he left I took his position there."
Both continued as assistants in college, Linehan at Washington and Louisville,
Olson at Central Washington and Purdue. Linehan got his first shot in the pros
in 2002, with Minnesota; Olson moved up to the NFL in 2001, with San Francisco.
Linehan, 42, arrived in St. Louis from Miami, where he'd been offensive
coordinator. Olson, 43, came from Detroit, where he'd coached the quarterbacks.
Now, they share a goal: reviving a Rams outfit that has had just one .500-plus
season in the last four. Part of that task is reconstructing an offense that
charged into the new millennium as the scourge of the league, the explosive
"Greatest Show on Turf."
But the blissful seasons of 1999, 2000 and 2001, when the Rams went a combined
37-11 in the regular season and led the NFL in total offense each year, are
fading quickly. In the last four seasons, the Rams were 33-31, their records
reflecting the decreased potency of their attack.
Olson has sketched out a plan aimed at restoring the luster. It includes:
Keeping quarterback Marc Bulger, who missed a total of 10 games over
the past two seasons because of injuries to his throwing shoulder, on his feet.
Getting the tight ends more involved in what still is a dangerous
passing attack.
Getting first-team running back Steven Jackson at least 20 touches
per game, with able support (10 to 12 touches) from Marshall Faulk.
"We're going to address . . . how many situations we're putting (Bulger) in
where he's vulnerable to being hit," Olson said. "Any time you put in a game
plan, those are the first things that come about, protections. How are we going
to protect our quarterback? Obviously, that will be a priority."
Also, Bulger will be allowed to audible, a luxury he didn't have under former
coach Mike Martz. That should allow him to check out of some perilous
situations.
When healthy, Bulger ranks among the league's elite, Olson maintained.
"He has such great anticipation, and he's extremely accurate. I think he's got
some special qualities," Olson said.
Bulger's targets in recent years have been almost exclusively wideouts and
backs. Last year, Rams tight ends caught 22 passes, a total that Olson
considers "low for that position for the offense that we'll be running."
The team drafted two tight ends, Colorado's Joe Klopfenstein in the second
round and Southern California's Dominique Byrd in the third. It traded starter
Brandon Manumaleuna to San Diego.
"It was an area we felt like we needed to address," Olson said. "But we're not
going to force-feed these tight ends. They're young, and we'll slowly bring
them along. . . . But I would probably be disappointed if they didn't, between
the two of them, have more than 22 catches."
In 2005, his first season as the team's primary back, Jackson got as many as 20
carries just three times; he averaged 129 yards as the Rams went 3-0 in those
games. Their record was 1-3 when he had 12 carries or fewer.
"If you can get the ball to him 20 times or more, he seems to get better,"
Olson said. "We think that's a good number to shoot for. He's one of our
primary weapons that needs to get (more) touches."
In his limited role last year, Faulk carried 65 times and caught 44 passes.
Faulk, 33, had "clean-up" surgery on both knees after his 12th NFL season and
missed last month's minicamp.
"We're anticipating that he's going to come back healthy," Olson said. "We
still think he's going to be good for 10 to 12 touches a game and can still be
an explosive player in that role."
* * *
Where the Rams have ranked in the 32-team NFL in total offense, beginning
with 1998, a year before their Super Bowl championship season:
1998
Rank: 27th
Record: 4-12
Playoffs: Did not qualify
1999
Rank: 1st
Record: 13-3
Playoffs: Won Super Bowl
2000
Rank: 1st
Record: 10-6
Playoffs: Lost in wild-card game
2001
Rank: 1st
Record: 14-2
Playoffs: Lost in Super Bowl
2002
Rank: 13th
Record: 7-9
Playoffs: Did not qualify
2003
Rank: 9th
Record: 12-4
Playoffs: Lost in NFC semifinals
2004
Rank: 6th
Record: 8-8
Playoffs: Lost in NFC semifinals
2005
Rank: 9th
Record: 6-10
Playoffs: Did not qualify
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