The NFL is a quarter of the way through and everything is going well. The referees are back, the Dome is loud and the Rams do not suck. That’s right folks, they do not suck and I have to fight the urge to scream it from the rooftops. After their 2-2 start the Rams have actually put themselves back into a position of respectability, and also possible playoff eligibility. There are four Rams players in particular to thank for this successful start and they deserve some awards. However one player in particular is in need for some serious improvement. So who better to hand out these awards than yours truly.

MVP – Greg Zuerlein, kicker
I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out. “Greg the Leg” has earned his nickname. Through the first four games of his rookie season Zuerlein has kicked a league high 12 field goals and has not missed a single one. He is the first rookie kicker in Ram’s franchise history to hit his first 12 attempts, not to mention doing so from difficult lengths. In last Sunday’s 19-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks, Zuerlein kicked the longest field goal by a rookie in NFL history with a 60 yard bomb. This kick also earned him the longest kick in the Ram’s franchise record books. He also became the first kicker, rookie or otherwise, to drill two field goals longer than 55 yards in the same game when he added a 58 yard make to his resume. It is seldom a good sign when the best player on your team is the kicker, but this young man from Missouri Western changes the dynamics of the Ram’s offense. Now all they have to do is
get across midfield and they have a shot at points.

Best Offensive Player – Danny Amendola, wide receiver
It’s no secret that the Rams struggle at the receiver position, but Amendola is the exception. He came into his own two years ago working with a rookie Sam Bradford, but missed nearly all of last year with an elbow injury. He is back and wants people to take notice. Amendola is second in the league in receptions (31), fourth in targets (44) and seventh in receiving yards (351). He has his highest yards per catch average of his career amassing 11.3 per grab. He also had a career day snatching 15 balls for 160 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Redskins week two.

Best Defensive Player – Cortland Finnegan, cornerback
The Rams shelled out big money this offseason to bring in the star corner from Tennessee, and it has paid big dividends for the once trouble secondary. Finnegan is second in the league in interceptions (3). He is constantly given the task of covering the opponents top receiver and has kept star players Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall and Sidney Rice out of the end zone. Finnegan also has a reputation around the league as a troublemaker and he put that stigma to use by goating the Redskins into a personal foul penalty at the end of the game, icing the victory for the Rams.

Best Rookie – Janoris Jenkins, cornerback
There were a lot of questions about this kid coming into the draft. He was regarded as arguably the best cover corner available and a top five talent, but his off field issues made him a risk. Jenkins has four children with three different women and was kicked out of the University of Florida after multiple arrests stemming from marijuana charges. His talent is undeniable and the Rams were ecstatic to grab him with pick 39 early in the second round. He has been as advertised. Week one against the Lions he made a touchdown-saving interception and has shut down nearly every receiver he has faced. After getting burned twice for touchdowns against the Cowboys in the preseason he seems to have found his stride just in time for the Rams.

Player Needing to Step Up – Steven Jackson, running back
I will admit, I am a little biased. I love Jackson. I want nothing more than to wrap him in a hug and hope some of his awesome dust will rub off on me. That said, his beginning to the season has been anything but awesome. He has been hampered by a groin injury and has yet to see an open hole big enough for a baby squirrel to squeeze through. But he needs to find a way to get past that. He is getting to that point in every running back’s career where they hit a steady decline. Simply put, he is getting old. But even if he has finally lost a step, the Rams are not asking for him to break off 80 yard touchdown runs. Jackson just needs to get back to doing what he does best, moving the chains.