ST. LOUIS – Mike Martz wasn’t just frustrated last week. He was livid.
Mad Mike screamed at his players, snapped at the media and spit toward anything that crossed his path.
That’s what happens when an offensive guru – as the St. Louis Rams coach is – sees his team pile up 712 yards of total offense over two games yet have nothing to show for it. No matter how many points the Rams could put up, the St. Louis defense would give it right back.
Today the Rams’ struggling defense might have its hands full against an offense that is finding a groove. The Seattle Seahawks enter today’s game on a roll, having exploded for 886 yards of offense in back-to-back wins.
As Seahawks wide receiver Darrell Jackson told his teammates before last Sunday’s game: “We get hot in November.”
That could be bad news for the Rams, who have been getting burned lately.
The first sign of trouble actually came on Oct. 18, when Tampa Bay’s comatose offense finally showed some life behind third-string quarterback Brian Griese’s 286 yards and two touchdowns. Although the Rams won that game, 28-21, the defensive effort left a lot to be desired.
One week later, while facing an equally inept offense, the wheels came off. St. Louis gave up 323 yards and 31 points to a Miami team that hadn’t scored more than 13 points in any of its first six games.
The bye week was of no help, as New England ran up and down the field en route to a 40-22 win over St. Louis last Sunday.
By mid-week, Martz was ready to explode.
“I’m disappointed in our defense right now,” he said during a Wednesday conference call with the Seattle media. “Not the coaches – I think (defensive coordinator Larry Marmie) is the best, and I know he’s the best. I’m disappointed in our guys not getting off blocks and making plays like we were earlier.
“There’s nothing magical about defense. It’s attitude. You get off blocks and get to the ball carrier in a bad mood.”
The moodiest of all was Martz himself. He snapped at reporters during a mid-week press conference, then abruptly walked out of the room. He later put the team through a full contact practice that brought back painful memories of training camp.
Not a good week to be a Ram.
“Anytime you get embarrassed in something, it never sets well,” Martz said. “You’ve just got to coach them the best way you can and try to avoid those things.”
If the Rams were looking for defensive improvement, they could have found a more attractive opponent. The Seahawks (5-3) have piled up more than 430 yards in each of their past two games – both victories. Running back Shaun Alexander is running the ball as well as he has in years, while the Seahawks’ passing game is also thriving after an inconsistent start.
“I think the thing that we are getting to now is that we are making plays,” Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “There are opportunities where the ball is in the air and it could go either way, and our guys are starting to come down with it.”
The Seahawks have made a habit out of getting their offense started in November and carrying the wave through the end of the season. Seattle averaged 314.9 yards and 22.3 points per game during September and October of the past two years and 390.9 yards and 24.8 points during November and December.
Based on the past two games – the Carolina game was actually played on Oct. 31 – that trend might be continuing.
“We’re just hot in November,” Alexander said. “We’re en fuego in December.”
The maddening months have been September and October, as was the case again this fall. Despite having all 11 starters back from last year’s team, the Seahawks took a while to find the consistency that made them the sixth-ranked offense in the NFL in 2003.
After back-to-back 400-yard performances, Seattle has moved up to No. 7 in the league this season.
“We’re clicking,” receiver Koren Robinson said. “This is the time we normally start clicking. The last couple of years we finished well like that. But it doesn’t really matter what the defense is doing. As long as we go out there and play our game, it’s going to be hard to stop us.”
Especially if the Rams continue to play defense like they have the last couple games.
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