jimmyram

Rams: Turnover turnabout

With five playoff berths, three division titles and two Super Bowl appearances since 1999, the Rams have been at or near the top of the standings more often than not in recent years.

That's not rare. What is rare -- no, make that unheard of -- is the sight of the Rams at the top of the NFL's takeaway-giveaway "standings" after Week 1 of the season.

Takeaway-giveaway differential is the most underrated stat in pro football. And the Rams are sitting at a league-high plus-5 after coming up with five turnovers on defense while committing none on offense in Sunday's 18-10 victory over Denver.

"The one thing that I'm the most happy with is we're plus-5 in the turnover differential," coach Scott Linehan said Monday. "That's a great way to come out of the gates."


Finishing on the plus side in takeaway-giveaways doesn't guarantee victory, but it's the next best thing. Since the move to St. Louis in 1995, the Rams are 54-9 when plus-1 or better in regular-season and postseason play.

Under the pedal-to-the-metal offensive approach of Mike Martz, the Rams were willing to sacrifice a few turnovers for big plays. But as the "Greatest Show on Turf" came back to the pack, becoming "A Pretty Good Offense that Plays Indoors," that approach became increasingly risky.

One game into the Linehan era, the Rams seem to be tilting strongly in the other direction. For quarterback Marc Bulger, that means minimizing mistakes and not forcing the ball. That could signal a significant switch in philosophy if that's the way it's going to be over the course of the season.

So even on a day when the Rams' offense couldn't find the end zone with a Trip-tik, Linehan could at least hang his hat on a turnover-free afternoon against the Broncos.

"The thing that was great is we protected the ball," Linehan said. "It's really hard to go through an NFL game and not turn the ball over."

How hard? Well, in 187 regular-season and postseason games in St. Louis, the Rams have gone only 21 games without committing a turnover. The Rams began their inaugural season in St. Louis with four straight turnover-free games in 1995, tying an NFL record.

Even more rare, however, are those plus-5 games. The Rams have been plus-5 or better only three times since moving here: plus-7 against Carolina in 1995; plus-5 against Jacksonville in 1996; and plus-7 against Green Bay in a divisional playoff game in the 2001 season. Yes, the Rams won all three games, by a combined score of 93-41.

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