St. Louis got teased with potential playoff talk, again. It happened two years ago in Seattle, and again last week as the Rams tried to build off a three-game win steak versus the beatable Minnesota Vikings.

Unfortunately, that train known as Adrian Peterson came and left St. Louis like most Fortune 500 companies. Here today, gone tomorrow.

It’s important to take a deep breath before reacting to a 2012 Rams game. Anyone whose watched this putrid organization since Mike Martz left knows the pain of defeat. It’s miserable, but things are getting better.

Jeff Fisher and Co. could only address so much in one offseason. The defense improved in 2012; but offensively the Rams are a total crapshoot. How can they look so fluid on an 84-yard game winning drive and then go completely dormant for long chunks?

This bunch won’t make the playoffs until:

Craig Dahl is gone. He is literally the worst safety I’ve ever seen play. Adam Archuleta and his chronic neck injuries would bring more to the table. This guy is so bad, it’s embarrassing. He plays scared…and HE’S A SAFETY. Watch the :06 second mark, Dahl freezes and, well…

Also notice the hold/illegal block #82 Kyle Rudolph gets away with when he shoves QuentinMikell to the turf, creating a huge hole. 

Sam Bradford needs to grow up. His contract couldn’t expire soon enough. Sure, he sports a cannon — so did Kyle Boller. If you approach the line of scrimmage in year three of the NFL and can’t differentiate coverages or see blitz packages, well, grab some pine.

Please, hold the “statistics”. Bradford completes more garbage time, stat padding nonsense than Marc Bulger. If all he saw was soft, prevent Cover-2 defenses, where he could dink-and-dunk underneath routes, he’s an All-Pro QB. Unfortunately, that’s not how the NFL works. Bradford was awful Sunday, and he’s been awful for about 90% of every offensive drive in 2012.

He benefits from a kicker who routinely tries 60-yard attempts, and a unique defense that holds their own. Watch these plays and tell me Sam is still a franchise quarterback. At some point (now) more is expected from the former #1 overall draft pick.

One of the benefits of sitting in the rafters is watching plays develop. Bradford’s receivers had separation all day, and Sam flat-out missed. He was even late on his completions. My biggest problem with Bradford is his inability to get through progressions. Option A is covered, B, C, D, etc. The great players visualize the field, Bradford seems behind with this key part of the position.

Congratulations Steven Jackson on breaking the 10,000 rushing yard plateau. Jackson just keeps doing his thing, patiently waiting to run the football. On the Rams second possession, Jackson steamrolled into Minnesota territory with back-to-back gains of 13-and-15 yards. Four passing attempts (holding penalty) later, Johnny Hekker punted the ball away. Jackson didn’t touch the football again until time expired in the first quarter. The inability to keep pounding the rock is frustrating and mind-boggling. The Rams are 5-1-1 when Jackson has a minimum of 15 rushing attempts.

Defensive Coordinator Blake Williams, 27, had a bad day. Horrible actually. The Vikings don’t abandon the run when it doesn’t work two possessions into the game. In fact, they pound it more. Williams guessed wrong, dropping defensive lineman into pass coverage which led to runs of 82, 51, and 17 yards contributing to Peterson’s 212-yard rushing performance.

CraigDahl. Ugh.

Robert Quinn’s whiff on Christian Ponder, which led to the Vikings first TD, was a microcosm of the entire game.  

The Rams margin of error is so slim when they turn the football over twice in a quarter that the opponent out scores them 23-7, well, book it, danno. It’s just not happening.

The Rams must find a way to play with more energy out of the gate. These stagnant lulls become insurmountable craters. The big picture has a looming eight year playoff draught. Another year of turnover beginning an offseason that comes a month too soon.