EARTH CITY, Mo. -- One day after signing wide receiver Wes Welker, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher was so excited about the prospect of Welker improving his team's dreadful third-down conversion rate that he called his new wideout by the wrong name when discussing the possibilities.

“You know what I’ll anticipate if he does play and he converts the first down, they’ll probably start chanting ‘Walker’ rather than ‘Gurley,’" Fisher said.

Obviously, Fisher meant Welker, but whether it's Welker or Jimmy Walker, anyone who can help the Rams improve their NFL-worst third-down conversion rate from it's current 23.8 percent would qualify as dyn-o-mite for Fisher and the Rams.

Eight games into the season, that third-down conversion rate is not only the worst in the NFL but on pace to be the worst since STATS, LLC began tracking it in 1972. The Rams have converted between zero and two third downs in five of their eight games, with the season high of six coming in the season opener against Seattle.

In the past three games, the Rams are an especially anemic four-of-37, and they are 24-of-101 this season, which is far and away the worst mark in the NFL. Miami is the closest at 28.9 percent.

Having Wes Welker will help Nick Foles convert more third downs, but having shorter third-down situations would make an even bigger impact. AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt

In the ESPN Stats & Information database that goes back to 2001, the 2002 Dallas Cowboys and 2005 San Francisco 49ers were closest to the Rams' current rate at an even 24 percent. By way of comparison, the 2014 Rams were 27th at 35.4 percent, going 68-of-192. Cleveland was last at 29.5 percent.

No matter how you slice it, the inability to convert third downs and sustain drives has been the Rams' single biggest problem in the first half of the season.

“It’s not good," Fisher said. "We need to get better. Four in three games is not good. Like I said, I’ll take five or six of them, but four in three games is not good. We have to get better. That’s a coaching thing. That’s a player thing. That’s a quarterback thing. It’s everybody that’s involved in that, so we’ll get better.”

Well, one would think they'd almost have to get better just by dumb luck but as Fisher points out, the failure to be better on third down can be attributed across the board. But one place to start would be finding more success on first and second down to create more manageable third downs.

Of their 101 third-down opportunities, 63 of them have been from 6 yards or further. As you'd expect, the Rams have been particularly bad in those situations, converting 11 of those, a 17.5 percent conversion rate. Between 1 and 5 yards, the Rams have converted 13-of-38 for a more palatable 34.2 percent.

Along with that, the Rams have converted 31.3 percent of their third downs on the 16 run plays they've tried. When they pass, the Rams are 19-of-85 for 22.4 percent.

In other words, faring better on first and second down would go a long way toward more third-down conversions.

“That helps third down a lot," quarterback Nick Foles said. "First and second down, staying inside of the sticks, not getting to third-and-7 plus. The percentage of converting on those isn’t nearly as high. Staying inside of the chains will help us a lot. First and second down are huge for us.”

Aside from having more success on the first two downs, one simple solution falls at the feet of offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and Foles: Throwing the ball at or past the first down marker on third down.

Of those 85 third-down pass plays the Rams have tried, they've attempted 44 that were short of the first-down marker. To nobody's surprise, they've converted just four of those for 9.1 percent. When they actually throw to the marker or beyond, they've converted 15-of-41 for 36.6 percent.

“We just have to continue to work on it," Fisher said. "Give Nick some options, different concepts, do better on first downs. You guys have got the numbers. We had 16. We’re two for 16. I think six of them were seven to 10 and we had four or five that were 10-plus. It’s hard. So, it all works together. But, we have to get better there.”

That's where the Rams are hoping that Welker will come in. Welker built his reputation in the league as the ideal chains-mover, the type of slot receiver who can operate in short areas with crisp, quick routes that offer easy completions for first downs.

Since 2001, Welker is eighth in the NFL among active players in third-down receptions (213), seventh in third-down catches that result in a first down (168) and fourth in catch percentage (64) on third-down passes thrown his way.

At 34, Welker is coming off a series of injuries that include myriad concussions. Expecting him to magically solve the third-down issues is probably asking too much. But if nothing else, his veteran savvy and reliable hands should be a welcome sight when the Rams face third downs. Even just another three or four conversions per game would go a long way in getting the Rams back toward the NFL average.

"I don’t see myself as being the solution to all that or anything like that," Welker said. "I’m just here trying to learn the offense and trying to contribute any way I can and help out any way I can."