Full St. Louis Rams Report Card Heading into Week 4 Bye

The St. Louis Rams (1-2) are off to a rough start to the 2014 season. The Rams are entering a much-needed Week 4 bye, which gives them a chance to regroup, and it provides us with an opportunity to analyze the progress (or lack of progress) so far this season. 

The Rams suffered a devastating 34-6 loss at home to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, but the team rebounded with a road win against the hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

St. Louis had an opportunity to secure a winning 2-1 record after going up 21-0 in the first half against the Dallas Cowboys, but the Rams defense choked and allowed Dallas to piece together its biggest comeback in regulation in franchise history. 

The loss to Dallas was so avoidable and surreal that it'll surely endanger the team's confidence. After all, if the Rams can't hold on to a 21-0 lead, how can they expect to capitalize on any advantage for the rest of the year?

However, while it seems the 2014 season is an utter disaster, that's not necessarily the case. At least not yet. 

Under the leadership of third-year quarterback Austin Davis, the offense is finally scoring points and moving the ball. A lack of offense was supposed to be the weak point of this team, but we continue to see this unit defy our original expectations. 

The loss of Sam Bradford was presumed to be the end of 2014 Rams, but Davis is showing that he's more than capable of replicating Bradford's production under center. 

The defense is the only reason the Rams are not a winning team right now. And with the tremendous amount of talent on that side of the ball, it's hard to believe the group will struggle for the remainder of the season. If you can recall, St. Louis' 2013 defense didn't come alive until Week 6 at Houston. 

If the offense can maintain its current level of play and if the defense wakes up in the next couple weeks, there's no reason why this team can't go on a run and produce a fun, successful season. 

The Rams began the 2012 and 2013 seasons with a 1-2 record as well, and both those teams managed to rebound and keep things interesting until the end. 

The team will take advantage of the bye week and attempt to make that happen. In the meantime, this article will grade each unit, which will give us an idea of what areas need improvements before the Rams can start winning games. 

The grades will be based on production, consistency, stats and expectations prior to the start of the season.

Grade: A

Davis has played out of him mind in his two NFL starts, and he's making the loss of Bradford seem somewhat benign. 

In his first start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Davis produced 235 yards and finished with a 75.9 percent completion rate. He had the composure of a seasoned veteran and even led the offense to a game-winning field-goal drive. 

Against Dallas, Davis had three touchdowns and 327 yards. He really had four touchdown passes, but tight end Jared Cook bobbled an easy pass in the end zone. 

Davis ranks ninth in the NFL in passing yards (754) despite missing the first half of Week 1. He ranks sixth among starting quarterbacks in yards per attempt (8.0) and ranks first in completion percentage (72.3 percent).

Not bad for an undrafted third-string quarterback in his third NFL season.

Skeptics will undoubtedly point to Davis' two interceptions against Dallas that hurt the Rams, but that's not really fair. He's the reason the team went up 21-0, and it's the defense that let the team down. The defense put the game on Davis' shoulders, and that's unacceptable. A third-string quarterback in his second NFL start is bound to make errors. 

When looking at the original expectations placed on Davis, it's safe to say he has far exceeded those expectations in every way possible. 

Jeff Fisher states that Shaun Hill—St. Louis' No. 2 quarterback behind Bradford—will return to his starting role when healthy, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. 

It's admirable that Fisher is not allowing Hill to lose his job over an injury, but he better be prepared to take serious heat if Hill struggles. 

Fisher's loyalty to his players gives us all a warm and fuzzy feeling, but fairness does nothing for the win-loss record. In the NFL, it's about results, so Fisher better hope that Hill justifies his loyalty. 

Davis has made the Rams exciting to watch again. The offense is finally producing after years of four-yard checkdowns, which makes Fisher's hasty decision to stick with Hill somewhat baffling. 

If the offense is rudderless with Hill under center, expect an angry outcry from the fans. 

Grade: C+

The St. Louis running backs were expected to be the focal point of the offense. The group got off to a slow start, but the backs are slowly gaining momentum. 

Zac Stacy struggled with just 43 yards in the Week 1 opener, but he had 71 yards and a touchdown at Tampa Bay. He finished with a respectable 67 yards against Dallas despite having just 12 carries. 

Benny Cunningham has been a bit of a disappointment early on. He was expected to be a solid part of the offense, but he's averaging just 3.3 yards a carry so far. 

Undrafted rookie Trey Watts saw some action against Dallas and was impressive, but third-round draft pick Tre Mason has been a no-show this season. Mason has yet to see the field. 

Overall, the group has been very average early on, but expect better production in the near future. 

Grade: B+

The St. Louis receivers have been a pleasant surprise this season, particularly third-year pro Brian Quick. 

Quick was practically a first-round pick in 2012 (he was selected No. 33 overall), and his first two seasons were very underwhelming. He came dangerously close to bust territory, but Quick has been a breakout player this season. 

Quick had a 99-yard game against Minnesota to start the year, and he turned in a respectable seven catches and 74 yards against Tampa Bay. In Week 3, he contributed two catches for 61 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown grab. 

He ranks 15th in the NFL with 235 yards, which puts him on pace for a 1,200-yard season. It also puts him ahead of players such as A.J. Green, DeSean Jackson, Andre Johnson, Victor Cruz and even Alshon Jeffery—a player the Rams were criticized for passing on in favor of Quick. 

Not only is it reasonable to say that Quick has been the best player on offense this year, but he has arguably been St. Louis' best overall player this season. For a guy who was generally written off as a bust, that's quite impressive. 

Jared Cook has also been a fairly consistent contributor. He has 15 catches for 177 yards, which puts him at 35th in the NFL in receiving and seventh among tight ends. 

Austin Pettis was quiet in the preseason and Week 1, but he's becoming a valuable role player on offense. He had several key first-down catches against Tampa Bay, and he had a nice touchdown grab against Dallas in Week 3. 

It can be argued that this group deserves a higher grade, but we've seen this group commit far too many penalties this season. Not to mention, Cook's touchdown drop was the difference against Dallas. 

Grade: C-

The offensive line has improved each week, but this unit has the talent to be much better than what we've seen. 

The line was completely dreadful in Week 1 against the Minnesota. The group was guilty of three false starts despite being at home, the run blocking was absolutely nonexistent and the Vikings were able to harass the quarterback all afternoon. 

In Week 3 against Dallas, we saw some improvements. The line did not commit a single penalty and allowed zero sacks. However, center Scott Wells had a bad snap that resulted in a fumble and three points for Dallas, which could have been the difference in the game (depending on what the Rams would have done on that drive). 

Also, the Rams faced a 4th-and-inches situation against the Cowboys, and the line was totally overwhelmed. Stacy was tackled a good two yards in the backfield. It sure would have been nice to see renowned road grader Greg Robinson in on that play, but the No. 2 overall draft pick is still warming seats on the bench. 

The fact that this group improves each week inspires some confidence, but we need to see more consistent play and fewer mistakes before the offense can take off. 

Grade: F

The defense line, so far, has been a total embarrassment to the entire Rams organization. This unit has been the biggest disappointment of the 2014 season by far. 

The line was expected to be the strength of the team. It was a group that was built to harass quarterbacks, and the production up front was going to elevate the play of the entire defense. 

The players even gave the defense the nickname of "Sack City" during the offseason. Considering the St. Louis defense is dead-last in the NFL in sacks (1), the players have surely learned their lesson about throwing around nicknames before playing a single down.

Pro Bowler Robert Quinn, who finished with 19 sacks last year and was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, has been a total ghost. In 2013, he made an impact on nearly every play and was a force to be reckoned with. Now, it's hard to notice he's even on the field.

Quinn earned the benefit of the doubt with his monster 2013 year, so fans have offered Quinn a number of convenient excuses. We frequently hear how he's being held and double-teamed on every play, but those things didn't seem to stop him a year ago. 

The bottom line is that Quinn is not getting it done. He has been a total non-factor through three games. His three-game sack drought is his longest since his 2011 rookie year. 

The rest of the defensive line has been equally inept. 

Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford are not stuffing the run. William Hayes and Eugene Sims are not adequately replacing the injured Chris Long and the overall pressure on quarterbacks has been a fraction of what we originally expected from this unit. 

For the amount of talent, money and draft picks invested into this group, the performance through the first three games could not possibly be any worse. 

Frankly, the players manning this unit should be humiliated and ashamed. 

Grade: F

The linebackers have been yet another total disappointment on the defensive side of the ball. 

The Rams rank 29th in run defense and are allowing 155 rushing yards per game. They have allowed a 100-yard rusher in each game this season. With that in mind, it's hard to find any positives to associate with this unit. 

James Laurinaitis may be an intelligent player, but good luck remembering the last time he made a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. He racks up tackles, but most of them are five yards down the field. 

Alec Ogletree was expected to be a breakout player this year. Instead, he's letting 34-year-old quarterbacks juke him out and run for 16 yards on critical 3rd-and-longs (Tony Romo). So much for the Patrick Willis comparisons. 

Ogletree did force a fumble against Dallas, but that's one of the few positives from this unit.  

Grade: B-

The secondary was supposed to be the weak point of the defense this season. The unit is far from stellar, but it has surprisingly been the most solid part of the defense this year. 

Safety T.J. McDonald is a force when it comes to bringing down the ball-carrier. The bone-crunching hit he inflicted on Tampa Bay's Mike Evans won the game for St. Louis. In fact, McDonald has been perhaps the best defensive player for the Rams this season. 

Janoris Jenkins has made a few penalties and errors, but he's a much-improved tackler this season, and his coverage is dependable. He contributed a pick-six against Dallas. 

Rookie E.J. Gaines has stepped in for the injured Trumaine Johnson and has excelled. He allowed a touchdown to Greg Jennings in Week 1, but the sixth-round pick has been a steal thus far. 

The Rams rank fifth in the NFL in pass defense. The secondary also has two interceptions and one fumble recovery. 

Given the play we've seen from the secondary so far, the Rams might actually have a legitimate defense before this season is over as long as the front eight can wake up at some point. 

Grade: B-

Greg Zuerlein and Johnny Hekker appear to be in good form. Zuerlein has nailed seven of eight field goals, including a 56-yard bomb, while Hekker's punts have been generally well placed. 

Tavon Austin missed Week 3 with an injury, but he hasn't been given a chance to make big plays as a punt returner, so that's an area this unit needs to improve on. 

Special teams has done its job this season, but we need to see more game-changing plays. So far, there have been no big returns, no trickery and no flash. Hopefully, we'll see more of that in the upcoming weeks. 

Grade: F

Jeff Fisher has been a monumental improvement over the last three head coaches (including interim coach Jim Haslett), but unfortunately that's not really an accomplishment considering the combined record of his predecessors. 

The coaching this season has been horrendous. That's not frustration talking, and it's not an overreaction. The team has been totally sloppy and ill-prepared. 

The team was completely overwhelmed right out of the gate against Minnesota. The Rams looked as though they skipped training camp and walked into that game straight from the offseason. It's mind-boggling that a team can produce such a halfhearted effort during a season opener—a game that players are usually pumped for. 

The Rams are sixth in the NFL in penalties. In Week 1, they had three false starts in their own home stadium. The team is averaging nearly nine penalties a game, and that reflects poorly on the St. Louis coaching staff. 

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer called a solid game against Dallas, but his game plans are still predictable and include zero imagination. He's totally incapable of getting the ball into Tavon Austin's hands, unless you count putting Austin in the backfield and having him run up the gut. 

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was supposed to be one of the key offseason additions. He was going to be the guy to finally make the St. Louis defense elite. Instead, his unit has been a total laughing stock. 

The Rams gave Williams more defensive talent than he has ever had at any point in his career, and he's completely choking. Only the Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars have allowed more points than the Rams this season. 

Williams is making ex-defensive coordinator Tim Walton, who the Rams fired after last season for incompetence, look like Tom Landry. At least Walton's unit was capable of getting after quarterbacks. 

Overall, the coaching has let this team down. Any team that gives up a 21-0 lead to an average team like Dallas is clearly not a well-coached team. 

Steven Gerwel is the longest-tenured Rams Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and serves as the Rams' game-day correspondent. You can find more of Gerwel's work by visiting his writer profile or by following him on Twitter.