Marc Bulger is useless and soft

[STL Fan]

So for three years Bulger has been awful. The only starting QB in the league ranked below him is Russell. His QB rating lingers in the 50's. He has no fire, no emotion, no leadership, no guts and has lost the confidence of his team. Even the apologists who have talked about how bad the O-line is have stopped supporting the guy because he is showing that the line isn't the problem.

 

So last week against Detroit, the Rams are up 10-2, late in the third quarter and Bulger decides to scramble. He does so, for five yards, then slides down well in advance of a potential hit. The problem was the Rams were 3rd and 6. In a game where SJax was putting his ass on the line on every carry and Stafford was scrambling and diving and trying to create something for his team, Bulger cowered like a girl. It was eerily reminiscent of the dive that Jim Everett took in the NFC Championship game that was the beginning of the end for him. Then there was this:

 

"I was close (to a first down)," Bulger said. "There's been times this year I've gone in head first and it's hurt me for a couple weeks. So I thought I had it, but I didn't."

 

And then, cognizant of the criticism the play has come under from fans and some members of the media, Bulger paused and added, "I'm really not worried about it."

 

Way to man up D-bag. The Rams will not improve until he is gone. Gutless.

Edited to add the link to the story

Edited November 5, 2009 by STL Fan

[Hugh 0ne]

Easy to pile on. Going head first as a QB is dumb, he made the right move. The same move every other QB in the league with a brain would have made. Especially when you suck and the game means nothing. Sounds brutal but it's true.

 

JMHO of course.

[STL Fan]

Easy to pile on. Going head first as a QB is dumb, he made the right move. The same move every other QB in the league with a brain would have made. Especially when you suck and the game means nothing. Sounds brutal but it's true.

 

JMHO of course.

 

I don't know, Hugh, when your team is on the verge of winning for the first time in over a year, and other guys are laying it on the line and you pull up short? If this were the only piece of evidence against him I'd say you're right, but this is just the latest, greatest example. I have a tough time seeing Brady, Manning, Rothleisberger and those guys being willing to kill a drive in an important game to avoid a hit.

[kingfish247]

Ever since Bulger got his new contract in 2007... he's just been mailing it in every weekend. He should've never received that payday in 2007 for mopping up the remnants of an elite offense.

Edited November 5, 2009 by kingfish247

[STL Fan]

Ever since Bulger got his new contract in 2007... he's just been mailing it in every weekend. He should've never received that payday in 2007 for mopping up the remnants of an elite offense.

 

Not only is this true, but his play makes you go back and look at what he did to merit that contract and it was smoke and mirrors. His so-called accuracy was not only dramatically overstated, it was largely the product of have a tremendous set of receivers who made him look good.

 

Can you tell that as a fan and season-ticket holder, I'm a little frustrated?

Edited November 5, 2009 by STL Fan

[kingfish247]

...

Can you tell that as a fan and season-ticket holder, I'm a little frustrated?

It's been a long time coming for you guys. The fact that the NFC West hasn't been very good for a quite a few years probably only added to the smoke and mirrors.

 

Throw in the rapid decline of the OL, the terrible drafts, and management head scratchers like Bulger's contract... the 2009 Rams are the unfortunate result.

[rhippens]

While I certainly understand the frustration, I think the criticism of Bulger is a bit misdirected. The guy has gotten his face beat in for years and you're giving him a hard time for being timid or scared to get hit?

 

I don't like or dislike the guy so I don't really have a horse in the race, but it seems like there may be other problems with the Rams other than Marc Bulger sliding a yard short.

 

Leave it a yard short in a playoff game? Uh, no. Leave it a yard short so you can go home healthy to your family from your job as one of the worst team's in football? Yeah, truly, I might take the safe slide like I'm coached to do too.

 

If each week Marc Bulger was single-handedly losing games for the Rams, then I think you might have a case, but I don't think that's true. Do you?

[STL Fan]

While I certainly understand the frustration, I think the criticism of Bulger is a bit misdirected. The guy has gotten his face beat in for years and you're giving him a hard time for being timid or scared to get hit?

 

I don't like or dislike the guy so I don't really have a horse in the race, but it seems like there may be other problems with the Rams other than Marc Bulger sliding a yard short.

 

Leave it a yard short in a playoff game? Uh, no. Leave it a yard short so you can go home healthy to your family from your job as one of the worst team's in football? Yeah, truly, I might take the safe slide like I'm coached to do too.

 

If each week Marc Bulger was single-handedly losing games for the Rams, then I think you might have a case, but I don't think that's true. Do you?

 

Obviously he's not losing them single-handedly, but he is doing NOTHING to win them. Take a look at his stats for the last three years. It is not the fault of his O-line over three years. And if he's scared, he needs to quit. This team was in a 370-day, 17-game losing streak and was ahead by 8 points late in the third. So no, it wasn't a playoff game (I wish) but it was a VERY important game that the Rams won in spite of Bulger, not because of him.

[wiegie]

uh, I'm not sure it is efficient to forget everything I know about Bulger just so that I can relearn everything it is that I just forgot.

[STL Fan]

uh, I'm not sure it is efficient to forget everything I know about Bulger just so that I can relearn everything it is that I just forgot.

 

Ow, my brain!

[FishFreak]

Not only is this true, but his play makes you go back and look at what he did to merit that contract and it was smoke and mirrors. His so-called accuracy was not only dramatically overstated, it was largely the product of have a tremendous set of receivers who made him look good.

 

Can you tell that as a fan and season-ticket holder, I'm a little frustrated?

 

This is why it's so difficult to compare QB's from team to team. Sometimes the system makes a player better than he is and sometimes the supporting cast makes a player better than he is. For instance there have been many discussions on this board about how Kurt Warner should be a hall of famer. Maybe he should, but throwing the rock to HALL OF FAME receivers in their prime like Bruce, Holt, Boldin and Fitz certainly help. Bulger's true lack of talent is showing up now that he has a lot less to work with.

[STL Fan]

This is why it's so difficult to compare QB's from team to team. Sometimes the system makes a player better than he is and sometimes the supporting cast makes a player better than he is. For instance there have been many discussions on this board about how Kurt Warner should be a hall of famer. Maybe he should, but throwing the rock to HALL OF FAME receivers in their prime like Bruce, Holt, Boldin and Fitz certainly help. Bulger's true lack of talent is showing up now that he has a lot less to work with.

 

Definitely true. In Warner's case, though, he was good with average receivers and outstanding with great receivers. He is also a leader, is very poised, and is one of the reasons his team wins when they do. Bulger doesn't seem to give a crap about anything.

[i_am_the_swammi]

I don't remember Warner being anything close to good when he was with the Giants. Wasn't that the only time in his career he didn't have top-notch WRs?

 

BTW, you are right, Bulger is a a tasty morsel.

[STL Fan]

I don't remember Warner being anything close to good when he was with the Giants. Wasn't that the only time in his career he didn't have top-notch WRs?

 

BTW, you are right, Bulger is a a tasty morsel.

 

Yeah, I was thinking about that, they were not a good team for sure, but I don't remember if he was the problem or if they just took a shot at Eli. But remember that he was tearin' it up with Arena-League receivers for the Barnstormers.

[rattsass]

Bulger is just the end result. The problem is ownership. No focus. No direction. This team has been passed down like grandma's Hubble collection and none of the kids want it. Until that is solved this team goes nowhere. And I don't blame Bulger for sliding. The guy has taken a beating over the last few years....thanks to the ownership.

[STL Fan]

Bulger is just the end result. The problem is ownership. No focus. No direction. This team has been passed down like grandma's Hubble collection and none of the kids want it. Until that is solved this team goes nowhere. And I don't blame Bulger for sliding. The guy has taken a beating over the last few years....thanks to the ownership.

 

I agree with all of this except for the last two sentences. In that situation, a leader finds a way to get the first down. How do you think the rest of his team felt when they saw him wrinkle his skirt on that slide? If you're scared QUIT.

[Seahawks21]

Warner wasn't as bad in NY as most think. I think they had a winning record when he was yanked in favor of Young Eli.

[STL Fan]

Warner wasn't as bad in NY as most think. I think they had a winning record when he was yanked in favor of Young Eli.

 

That's what I remembered, but I'm a Warner fan and I thought I may be remembering with my heart, not my head.

[keggerz]

and if he went head first and got hurt Rams fans would be lambasting him and calling him stupid blah blah blah...no win situation for the Rams signal caller

Edited November 5, 2009 by keggerz

[STL Fan]

and if he went head first and got hurt Rams fans would be lambasting him and calling him stupid blah blah blah...no win situation for the Rams signal caller

 

Absolutely wrong. No way.

[Seahawks21]

Thats a tough one. Would Peyton go head-first? Absolutely. Would he still go head first if he had been doing nothing but losing for so many years with such little talent around him and no optimism? Probably. But I can see the other side.

[STL Fan]

Thats a tough one. Would Peyton go head-first? Absolutely. Would he still go head first if he had been doing nothing but losing for so many years with such little talent around him and no optimism? Probably. But I can see the other side.

 

That's kinda the point. This wasn't a blowout loss, it was the best shot in a long time for this team to get a win. HUGH situation for the mental health of this team and he tanked.

[wolfer]

STL Fan this is interesting, a few weeks ago Mike Martz was asked about Bulger on NFLN and he defended him. Now I must admit Martz seems to beam about everyone he has ever worked with, but he flat out denied Bulger was regressing. He blames the "situation around Marc".

 

This is what I remember about Marc. A lightning quick release (Jaworski would always time his release on MNF, because people apparently care), good accuracy and touch, but surrounded by weapons for those first few years. Ya he was always quiet but I remember he was pretty damn competitive. MVP of the pro bowl! Then he became a human punching bag and signed a huge contract....

 

I'm not sure what film Martz is looking at when he says Marc hasn't changed. You've seen him close up as a season ticket holder. You would know. My opinion is he's taken one too many--check that, 7 too many hits and can no longer lead sub-par talent up and down the field. He's being asked to do more with less (like a lot of us in our jobs these days) and he's just not the right guy to get it done.

 

If you are lobbying for the Rams to use their top-3 pick on a QB in the draft, I suspect this is already being planned. Sorry you have to suffer thru more 4th and 1s while you wait. But I tend to agree with you, it's not just the situation around marc, marc is part of the situation.

[STL Fan]

STL Fan this is interesting, a few weeks ago Mike Martz was asked about Bulger on NFLN and he defended him. Now I must admit Martz seems to beam about everyone he has ever worked with, but he flat out denied Bulger was regressing. He blames the "situation around Marc".

 

This is what I remember about Marc. A lightning quick release (Jaworski would always time his release on MNF, because people apparently care), good accuracy and touch, but surrounded by weapons for those first few years. Ya he was always quiet but I remember he was pretty damn competitive. MVP of the pro bowl! Then he became a human punching bag and signed a huge contract....

 

I'm not sure what film Martz is looking at when he says Marc hasn't changed. You've seen him close up as a season ticket holder. You would know. My opinion is he's taken one too many--check that, 7 too many hits and can no longer lead sub-par talent up and down the field. He's being asked to do more with less (like a lot of us in our jobs these days) and he's just not the right guy to get it done.

 

If you are lobbying for the Rams to use their top-3 pick on a QB in the draft, I suspect this is already being planned. Sorry you have to suffer thru more 4th and 1s while you wait. But I tend to agree with you, it's not just the situation around marc, marc is part of the situation.

 

Martz isn't the only one sticking up for his guy, Spagnolo has steadfastly refused to admit that Bulger is a problem and refuses to even entertain the idea (at least publicly) that Bulger will lose his starting job. In his defense, he has few options. Boller has been unimpressive, and Null just isn't ready yet.

 

As for his past success, another issue that doesn't get much attention is the numerous injuries he has suffered over the years, including his shoulder. This may be part of his performance problems at this point. He clearly can't throw anything resembling a deep ball at this point.

 

And yes, I think the Rams will draft a QB, but I'm not sure that any of the prospects deserve a top-two pick. And in an era when teams are reluctant to "trade up" in to the top half of the first round, we may end up taking another risk on a shaky first-rounder.