How Big is the Gap in the NFC West?

[RamBill]

How close are the Cardinals and Rams to catching up with the Seahawks and 49ers? ESPN’s Prim Siripipat and Brian Dawkins break it down. (4:50)

 

[rhinobean]

Blah, blah, blah! The Rams will kick butt this year! Prim's a cutie pie.

 

[Ramhusker]

We'll see about that! :lifting:

 

[Mojo Ram]

Blah, blah, blah! The Rams will kick butt this year! Prim's a cutie pie.

Yeah she's hot.

Every year things change. Good teams take a step back. Bad teams get better. Mediocre teams stay mediocre. Seems like the one thing we CAN count on is the NE fucking Patriots winning at least 10 games.
Anyway, its about teams individual losses as well as additions. Seattle took some hits, AZ took a hit with Dansby leaving and their best defensive player might miss significant suspension time(D.Washington). SF has a revolving door of mediocrity in the secondary, Gore is getting old, Boldin is old, their OLine is getting older, and Krapper is a one read QB who wants to get paid.

We haven't lost anyone.

SF hasn't drafted well IMO. Where are all those picks going? Lol.
Seattle has drafted well i suppose.
AZ just recently got a clue on how to draft.

We've drafted very well the last few years overall...and next to Houston we own this draft coming up.

We just need to be smart, pro-active and patient. This isn't a Scott Linehan or Spagnuolo rebuild. We'll get there because we'll be better...and a couple of these division rivals will slip when it happens.

 

[Selassie I]

Worst to 1st Baby !

 

[Rams and Gators]

Massive, we're that much better than everyone else, and we'll show it next year.

 

[RamsJunkie]

This year is the start of the Rams owning the NFC west and the NFL for the next decade! Can you say Dynasty!!

 

[Ky Ram]

I like the abundance of optimism, but Idon'lt see us turning the corner just yet. 2015 is the yearthe Hags have to start ponying up for their lame ass legion of rhetoric. The Whiners will have to pay their QB who really isn't all that great IMO (good but not great).
The deadbirds are an anomally - either they have a really good coach or are just lucky as hell.
Either way I'm thinkin we're a year away. I think we cmpete this year just like the first two years, but all that youth and lack of discipline has proven costly in the past.
Williams will be the X factor. We now have a DC who other teams will fear instead of salivate at.

 

[Flipper_336]

This year is the start of the Rams owning the NFC west and the NFL for the next decade! Can you say Dynasty!!

And we have a Carrington.

 

[tbux]

I thinkn te gap is maler than MOST think outside of STL. winning 7 with a backup of that caliber is impressive- should win 9 or 10 with healthy Sam, maybe more. I am PRAYING the over/under is 7 ish so I can pound the over.

 

[RamsJunkie]

I thinkn te gap is maler than MOST think outside of STL. winning 7 with a backup of that caliber is impressive- should win 9 or 10 with healthy Sam, maybe more. I am PRAYING the over/under is 7 ish so I can pound the over.

I agree if Sam stays healthy we win 10 games easy. Our very young talented players will have another year under there belts and finally a good D cord, throw in an awsome draft and next year the sky is the limit for this team.

 

[The Rammer]

Guranteed that guy is sitting there with a boner...

 

[Rams and Gators]

My more serious assessment:

21.1 points per game is a top 10 scoring D, the Cardinals averaged 20.25 ppg, the 49ers 17, the Seahawks 14.4. Over the final 12 games the Rams averaged 18.3 points per game. If you take out TDs scored on drives starting in our own territory that number drops to 15.4.

We return (if we want) 11 of 11 starters from that D (we actually if entirely healthy) get McDonald for all 12 games, and we don't have the liability of Finnegan who started some games over that period.

Oh and we thought it was worth while firing our DC over that performance.

How big is that gap?

Where our problem comes in is we aren't just competing against top 10 Ds, we're also competing against the 9th, 11th and 17th best Os.

With Bradford starting we were ranked 21st (our best showing since drafting Bradford).

We need to improve by a 5 points per game to close the gap on Seattle, 4 points per game on San Francisco and 2 points per game on Arizona.

I'd say we're further away on O than D.

 

[RamzFanz]

We need to improve by a 5 points per game to close the gap on Seattle, 4 points per game on San Francisco and 2 points per game on Arizona.

OR take the down that many points. That's where Clowney comes in.

 

[mr.stlouis]

The gap can't be that big. We dominated our division just two years ago and dominated teams outside our division last year. We have to be close. With our team on a sharp rise, we will have opponents nervous as heck going into games. What QB would want to face our dominant front four when you include Clowney? They were weary to begin with.

 

[Rams and Gators]

OR take the down that many points. That's where Clowney comes in.

If Clowney can make our D into a 10 point per game D then I'm willing to trade our next 3 first round picks for him.

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

rams record 2012 was 7-8-1
division games 4-1-1
outside of division games 3-7

rams record 2013 was 7-9
division games 1-5
outside of division games 6-4

i think this is the season the rams get it together inside and outside the division. especially with williams in charge of the d.

.

 

[RamzFanz]

If Clowney can make our D into a 10 point per game D then I'm willing to trade our next 3 first round picks for him.

I didn't mean just scoring. I think the addition of Clowney would create scoring and also reduce the other team's scoring. The net point gain of an unstoppable pass rush could easily be 10 points in my mind.

Of course, they would need upgrades at other positions as well.

 

[Rams and Gators]

I didn't mean just scoring. I think the addition of Clowney would create scoring and also reduce the other team's scoring. The net point gain of an unstoppable pass rush could easily be 10 points in my mind.

Of course, they would need upgrades at other positions as well.

I think adding offence would improve our scoring more, but we need to improve one way or another and have the draft picks to do so.

 

[RamzFanz]

I think adding offence would improve our scoring more, but we need to improve one way or another and have the draft picks to do so.

I think our O is going to improve on its own if Bradford stays healthy. Especially if we grab Robinson to lead the charge at 13 or trade up.

I think there's a tipping point for Ds, between very good and utterly dominating, and the Rams are at that point. The addition of Coach Williams, an upgrade in the secondary, man coverage, and exotic blitzes may make them just friggin' unstoppable. Now add Clowney. Wow.