The Post-Dispatch has a fine look at training camp surprises, and the Good Surprises and Bad Surprises are instructive when thinking about the Rams' startling ability to punch below their already-low weight.
↵I think the problem is surprises.
↵The good surprises are pretty good. Danny Amendola has the only touchdown to the Rams' name through one preseason game, and it was an extremely exciting play; the shelf-life of the best punt and kick returners is notoriously low, but if the Rams have found one he could have a real impact for a team that struggles to score points. It might take some pressure off a young, inexperienced offense.
↵But the bad surprises are putting way more pressure back onto that offense. The offensive line was so shockingly bad in last week's preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings that Sam Bradford could have been throwing red Mario Kart shells at his receivers and it still wouldn't matter—he just didn't have time to execute the Rams' gameplan.
↵The balance is tilted firmly toward bad surprises, and it seems like it's been that way for some time—Marc Bulger's collapse, Steven Jackson's back. Before the Rams get good they'll have to get better, but when it finally happens it'll be pushed over the top by the sheer imbalance of the Rams' luck and surprise-factor tilting backward.
↵