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http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_a7561418-e648-50e2-9684-5be3b9ad8300.html
Three weeks ago in Phoenix it looked like this up-and-down, topsy-turvy 2013 Rams season had reached a dead end. A 30-10 loss to the Cardinals looked like so many others in this Lost Decade of Rams football.
Coupled with a 23-13 loss in San Francisco the week before, the Rams were outscored 53-23 in two weeks’ time. For the most part they looked out-manned and overmatched.
When Jeff Fisher said “we’re gonna get better” after the loss to Arizona — a loss that mathematically eliminated the Rams from playoff consideration — the words rang hollow. With New Orleans, rapidly improving Tampa Bay, and powerful Seattle remaining on the schedule, there was a very real possibility that the team could finish 5-11.
But in a season full of surprises and curves in the road, the Rams did in fact improve. They jumped out early on New Orleans in a 27-16 victory. Last Sunday, they got the best of Tampa Bay 23-13. That’s 50 points scored and 29 allowed in two victories, pretty much the opposite of what happened against the 49ers and Big Red.
“Our team has a lot of resolve. I think there’s some tough guys in here,” defensive end Chris Long said. “It’s a reflection of Coach Fisher. He’s a tough, hard-nosed coach. It’s a shame because I feel like we’re better than this and we should be making a playoff run. But all things considered, everybody’s proud of everybody in this locker room.”
They close it out Sunday in a 3:25 p.m. kickoff (St. Louis time) at CenturyLink Field against Seattle.
While the Rams are at 7-8 and seeking respectability, the Seahawks (12-3) are playing for home-field advantage in the playoffs.
But after bullying their way to an 11-1 start, the Seahawks have dropped two of their last three, with both losses coming against NFC West competition — San Francisco and Arizona. Most surprising of all, the Arizona loss came at CenturyLink. The last time the Seahawks lost at home, second-year quarterback Russell Wilson was preparing for the Rose Bowl as a Wisconsin Badger.
If the Seahawks get the No. 1 overall seed, the road to the Super Bowl must come through Seattle. If they lose, and San Francisco wins at Arizona, the 49ers win the division and the Seahawks would fall to wild-card status, meaning no first-round bye and a playoff opener on the road.
“It’s a championship game for us,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told Seattle media during the week.
It might be a stretch to say there’s an air of desperation among the Seahawks, but there’s certainly a sense of urgency. Part of that is fueled by the fact that since Fisher took over as head coach, the Rams have played the Seahawks about as tough as anybody.
Last year, the Rams won 19-13 early in the season in St. Louis. The teams closed out the season in Seattle, with the Seahawks winning 20-13.
This year in St. Louis, the Rams totally dominated the line of scrimmage, but were stopped on fourth-and-goal at the Seattle 1 on the final play of a 14-9 Seahawks victory. The Rams outgained Seattle 339 yards to 135 in that Oct. 28 contest. According to the Seattle Times, NFL teams that have been outgained by more than 200 yards since 2001 have a record of 37-291.
It’s no surprise then, that even the Seahawks feel they were lucky to get out of St. Louis with a victory in that game.
So the Rams know they can hang with the Seahawks. In those three games with Fisher as coach, Seattle has scored 47 points, the Rams have scored 41, and all three contests have been decided by seven points or less.
But can the Rams do it in the Pacific Northwest, home of the 12th Man and the NFL’s toughest home-field advantage?
The Rams already have beaten three teams this season that enter Sunday’s final games of the regular season leading their divisions: New Orleans in the NFC South, Chicago in the NFC North, and Indianapolis in the AFC South.
But to win in Seattle with so much at stake for the Seahawks would be a statement. No, it wouldn’t help the Rams reach postseason. But it would get them to 8-8 — a place they haven’t been since 2006.
“We were close last year,” Fisher said, referring to the team’s 7-8-1 finish. “It’d be great. It’d be a great way to go into the offseason, but I think overall what we’ve done over the last couple weeks against a very good opponent — in particular, two weeks ago (against New Orleans) — I think you can see the improvement.
“That’s where we are. The guys, I heard them talking after the (Tampa Bay) ballgame that they’ve got a lot of games left. They don’t want to stop playing. So, that ought to be a daily reminder as we push through the offseason.”
Beyond evening the record at 8-8, it would give a very young Rams team the experience of beating one of the league’s elite teams on the road.
“I’ve never won up there,” Long said. “So it would mean a lot. It would mean a lot to this team. We could finish the season strong against a really good team. We’ll try to go do it.”
This makes three out of the last four years that the Rams have closed their season at Seattle. At face value that may not seem like a fair shake from the NFL schedule-makers, but the Rams have to play sometime in Seattle every season as members of the NFC West.
In two out of those three previous season finales, the Seahawks have blocked the Rams’ path to respectability. In 2010, in a winner-take-all nationally televised Sunday night contest, the 6-9 Seahawks defeated the 7-8 Rams for the division title.
In last season’s finale, a playoff berth wasn’t at stake for the Rams, but a winning record for the first time since 2003 was on the line. But the 7-7-1 Rams lost on a late touchdown.
Once again, the Rams are at the crossroads of respectability. Once again the big, bad Seahawks are blocking their path.
“We know that we’ve got one game, and we’re going to be doing exit physicals on Monday,” quarterback Kellen Clemens said. “But, you’re not going to get anything less than our best. (An) 8-8 (record) is important to us. Finishing with three straight wins is important to us. You win your last game, that carries over into the offseason and that’s important to this locker room. So, they’re going to get our best shot, definitely.”
Three weeks ago in Phoenix it looked like this up-and-down, topsy-turvy 2013 Rams season had reached a dead end. A 30-10 loss to the Cardinals looked like so many others in this Lost Decade of Rams football.
Coupled with a 23-13 loss in San Francisco the week before, the Rams were outscored 53-23 in two weeks’ time. For the most part they looked out-manned and overmatched.
When Jeff Fisher said “we’re gonna get better” after the loss to Arizona — a loss that mathematically eliminated the Rams from playoff consideration — the words rang hollow. With New Orleans, rapidly improving Tampa Bay, and powerful Seattle remaining on the schedule, there was a very real possibility that the team could finish 5-11.
But in a season full of surprises and curves in the road, the Rams did in fact improve. They jumped out early on New Orleans in a 27-16 victory. Last Sunday, they got the best of Tampa Bay 23-13. That’s 50 points scored and 29 allowed in two victories, pretty much the opposite of what happened against the 49ers and Big Red.
“Our team has a lot of resolve. I think there’s some tough guys in here,” defensive end Chris Long said. “It’s a reflection of Coach Fisher. He’s a tough, hard-nosed coach. It’s a shame because I feel like we’re better than this and we should be making a playoff run. But all things considered, everybody’s proud of everybody in this locker room.”
They close it out Sunday in a 3:25 p.m. kickoff (St. Louis time) at CenturyLink Field against Seattle.
While the Rams are at 7-8 and seeking respectability, the Seahawks (12-3) are playing for home-field advantage in the playoffs.
But after bullying their way to an 11-1 start, the Seahawks have dropped two of their last three, with both losses coming against NFC West competition — San Francisco and Arizona. Most surprising of all, the Arizona loss came at CenturyLink. The last time the Seahawks lost at home, second-year quarterback Russell Wilson was preparing for the Rose Bowl as a Wisconsin Badger.
If the Seahawks get the No. 1 overall seed, the road to the Super Bowl must come through Seattle. If they lose, and San Francisco wins at Arizona, the 49ers win the division and the Seahawks would fall to wild-card status, meaning no first-round bye and a playoff opener on the road.
“It’s a championship game for us,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told Seattle media during the week.
It might be a stretch to say there’s an air of desperation among the Seahawks, but there’s certainly a sense of urgency. Part of that is fueled by the fact that since Fisher took over as head coach, the Rams have played the Seahawks about as tough as anybody.
Last year, the Rams won 19-13 early in the season in St. Louis. The teams closed out the season in Seattle, with the Seahawks winning 20-13.
This year in St. Louis, the Rams totally dominated the line of scrimmage, but were stopped on fourth-and-goal at the Seattle 1 on the final play of a 14-9 Seahawks victory. The Rams outgained Seattle 339 yards to 135 in that Oct. 28 contest. According to the Seattle Times, NFL teams that have been outgained by more than 200 yards since 2001 have a record of 37-291.
It’s no surprise then, that even the Seahawks feel they were lucky to get out of St. Louis with a victory in that game.
So the Rams know they can hang with the Seahawks. In those three games with Fisher as coach, Seattle has scored 47 points, the Rams have scored 41, and all three contests have been decided by seven points or less.
But can the Rams do it in the Pacific Northwest, home of the 12th Man and the NFL’s toughest home-field advantage?
The Rams already have beaten three teams this season that enter Sunday’s final games of the regular season leading their divisions: New Orleans in the NFC South, Chicago in the NFC North, and Indianapolis in the AFC South.
But to win in Seattle with so much at stake for the Seahawks would be a statement. No, it wouldn’t help the Rams reach postseason. But it would get them to 8-8 — a place they haven’t been since 2006.
“We were close last year,” Fisher said, referring to the team’s 7-8-1 finish. “It’d be great. It’d be a great way to go into the offseason, but I think overall what we’ve done over the last couple weeks against a very good opponent — in particular, two weeks ago (against New Orleans) — I think you can see the improvement.
“That’s where we are. The guys, I heard them talking after the (Tampa Bay) ballgame that they’ve got a lot of games left. They don’t want to stop playing. So, that ought to be a daily reminder as we push through the offseason.”
Beyond evening the record at 8-8, it would give a very young Rams team the experience of beating one of the league’s elite teams on the road.
“I’ve never won up there,” Long said. “So it would mean a lot. It would mean a lot to this team. We could finish the season strong against a really good team. We’ll try to go do it.”
This makes three out of the last four years that the Rams have closed their season at Seattle. At face value that may not seem like a fair shake from the NFL schedule-makers, but the Rams have to play sometime in Seattle every season as members of the NFC West.
In two out of those three previous season finales, the Seahawks have blocked the Rams’ path to respectability. In 2010, in a winner-take-all nationally televised Sunday night contest, the 6-9 Seahawks defeated the 7-8 Rams for the division title.
In last season’s finale, a playoff berth wasn’t at stake for the Rams, but a winning record for the first time since 2003 was on the line. But the 7-7-1 Rams lost on a late touchdown.
Once again, the Rams are at the crossroads of respectability. Once again the big, bad Seahawks are blocking their path.
“We know that we’ve got one game, and we’re going to be doing exit physicals on Monday,” quarterback Kellen Clemens said. “But, you’re not going to get anything less than our best. (An) 8-8 (record) is important to us. Finishing with three straight wins is important to us. You win your last game, that carries over into the offseason and that’s important to this locker room. So, they’re going to get our best shot, definitely.”
