NFL Nation reporters say Rams will go 4-12 /Wagoner

[RamBill]

NFL Nation reporters say Rams will go 4-12
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/21187/nfl-nation-reporters-say-rams-will-go-4-12

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- On Tuesday, our 32 NFL Nation reporters offered game-by-game predictions for the teams we cover. I had the St. Louis Rams finishing at 8-8, which would be a two-game improvement over last year and the best record the team has posted under coach Jeff Fisher.

It would also qualify as a disappointment in Year 4 of the Fisher regime. But in rounding up the scores from the reporters on the other side, it's apparently also quite optimistic. I scanned the predictions of the reporters on the other side of these games and, added together, they have the Rams going 4-12. Fisher teams rarely drop to those levels and there are some surprising picks, such as the Rams losing at home to the Browns coming out of their bye week and to a Tampa Bay team they've owned recently at home near the end of the season. The NFC North reporters actually offered the Rams the most respect, with only the Packers predicted to defeat the Rams in those four division games.

Here's the breakdown:

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 13, vs. Seattle, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Rams 13, Seahawks 10. Record: 1-0

Seahawks reporter Sheil Kapadia: Seahawks 17, Rams 13. Rams record via NFL Nation: 0-1

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 20, at Washington, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Rams 24, Redskins 14. Record: 2-0

Redskins reporter John Keim: Redskins 17, Rams 14. Rams record via NFL Nation: 0-2

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 27, vs. Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Steelers 30, Rams 20. Record: 2-1

Steelers reporter Jeremy Fowler: Steelers 24, Rams 20. Rams record via NFL Nation: 0-3

Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 4, at Arizona, 4:25 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Cardinals 20, Rams 16. Record 2-2

Cardinals reporter Josh Weinfuss: Rams 17, Cardinals 10. Rams record via NFL Nation: 1-3

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 11, at Green Bay, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Packers 34, Rams 17. Record: 2-3

Packers reporter Rob Demovsky: Packers 37, Rams 13. Rams record via NFL Nation: 1-4

Week 6: Bye

Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 25, vs. Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Rams 24, Browns 9. Record: 3-3

Browns reporter Pat McManamon: Browns 17, Rams 16. Rams record via NFL Nation: 1-5

Week 8: Sunday, Nov. 1, vs. San Francisco, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Rams 20, 49ers 14. Record: 4-3

49ers reporter Paul Gutierrez: 49ers 27, Rams 16. Rams record via NFL Nation: 1-6

Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 8, at Minnesota, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Vikings 31, Rams 13. Record: 4-4

Vikings reporter Ben Goessling: Rams 21, Vikings 16. Rams record via NFL Nation: 2-6

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 15, vs. Chicago, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Rams 31, Bears 21. Record: 5-4

Bears reporter Jeff Dickerson: Rams 28, Bears 6. Rams record via NFL Nation: 3-6

Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 22, at Baltimore, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Ravens 26, Rams 19. Record: 5-5

Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley: Ravens 16, Rams 6. Rams record via NFL Nation: 3-7

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 29, at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Rams 27, Bengals 13. Record: 6-5

Bengals reporter Coley Harvey: Bengals 17, Rams 13. Rams record via NFL Nation: 3-8

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 6, vs. Arizona, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Rams 13, Cardinals 6. Record: 7-5

Weinfuss: Cardinals 24, Rams 14. Rams record via NFL Nation: 3-9

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 13, vs. Detroit, 1 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Lions 26, Rams 20. Record: 7-6

Lions reporter Mike Rothstein: Rams 24, Lions 17. Rams record via NFL Nation: 4-9

Week 15: Thursday, Dec. 17, vs. Tampa Bay, 8:25 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Rams 22, Buccaneers 10. Record: 8-6

Buccaneers reporter Pat Yasinskas: Bucs 24, Rams 14. Rams record via NFL Nation: 4-10

Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 27, at Seattle, 4:25 p.m. ET

Wagoner: Seahawks 20, Rams 9. Record: 8-7

Kapadia: Seahawks 21, Rams 14. Rams record via NFL Nation: 4-11

Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 3, at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m. ET

Wagoner: 49ers 16, Rams 13. Record: 8-8

Gutierrez: 49ers 23, Rams 20. Rams record via NFL Nation: 4-12

 

[TheDYVKX]

That's a joke. We're not going 4-12. If we can go 6-10 at worst with the teams we've had, there's no way we go 4-12 with our current roster. It's so much better than the previous ones.

 

[DaveFan'51]

alm::jerkoff::seizure:

 

[bluecoconuts]

The Rams are a team that I can see going 4-12, 8-8, or 10-6... When they're on they're damn good, but when they're off.... They've been too inconsistent lately, but we'll see if they improve on that this year. I'm pegging them anywhere between 6-10 and 9-7 most likely, depending on how much they improve on that. If they can't get the running game going on early that could start things off and spiral quickly due to the youth on the team.

 

[Angry Ram]

The Rams are a team that I can see going 4-12, 8-8, or 10-6... When they're on they're damn good, but when they're off.... They've been too inconsistent lately, but we'll see if they improve on that this year. I'm pegging them anywhere between 6-10 and 9-7 most likely, depending on how much they improve on that. If they can't get the running game going on early that could start things off and spiral quickly due to the youth on the team.

4-12 tho? FREAKIN FOUR AND TWELVE? Unless there are some massive amount of injuries and/or terrible, terrible officiating there is no way they just win 4 games. Not with a stable QB, OL, best DL in the league, and the will to win.

These "writers" are just giving points to their own teams. You don't think the Rams can't beat the Bucs, Bengals, the Browns (!)? And the shitchickens, Cardinals, or forty chumps at least once each? They've done it before. Sure any game can go either way. I highly doubt the Rams will be at the losing end of each of those close games.

 

[PhillyRam]

Shocking that other teams beat reporters give their own team the benefit of the doubt. Hell, consenus in Philly is 12-4 and this week alone Bradford has actually had parts of his game compared to Montana, Aikman, and Marino. Sal Pal compared his touch to Montana, Baldinger compared his release to Marino, and some other guy compared him to Aikman. These guys are National yet very local as they live here and focus on the Birds.

So point is guys who cover teams get caught up in those teams a little bit, so sure the Bucs and Cleveland writers will call their teams over the Rams.

 

[Warner4Prez]

Well, the Redskins sure have turned it around since last year. And the additions the Whiners have made sure will make an impact. Browns are always tough, ever since McCown found the fountain of youth and Josh Gordon turned in that 'get out of Goodell jail free' card. All in all, seems reasonable.

 

[BatteringRambo]

:jerkoff NFL Nation, and those douche's can talk to me in person anytime that fits their weak ass life. :rockon:

 

[Loyal]

Aint no way...Hell, if the Rams finish with 8 wins I'll be ready to move on from Fisher, PERIOD...If we get to 4-11 with a game to go, Fisher should be fired before the last game. No freakin excuses.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Rams aren't going 4-12.
The Rams' floor to ceiling win range isn't very wide. 7 to 10 wins.
Arizona is a team that has a wide floor to ceiling win range. 6 to 12 wins. Same with Minnesota, Philadelphia, NYG and even Dallas.

JMO

 

[LumberTubs]

Wow 4-12? I realise that these people weren't asked to predict the Rams record specifically and came to that result in a very round about kind of way but some of those predicted losses are ridiculous.

I've got no problem with "experts" not predicting us to reach the play offs as we've haven't given them any reason to (yet) but 4-12 is just plain mental.

 

[Hey Man]

I have us at a 9 win minimum. I am betting on it, literally.

 

[Hey Man]

4-2 division, wins over Redskins, Browns, Bears, Buc's, lions and hopefully more.

 

[JUMAVA68]

They got it right they just had the numbers backwards rams go 12-4.....there no harm done.

 

[RAGRam]

From a mathematical perspective it makes sense, they're predicting every individual game as a black and white, win or lose scenario, take a random team, say they play the same quality team each of their first 4 games, and so always have say a 49% chance of winning, using this method you'd predict them to go 0-4, in reality they're likely to go 2-2, it's a nice way of predicting an individual game, it's a retarded way to predict a team's record over 16 games.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

This is Wagoner thinking too much of himself as an ESPN employee. He apparently values all of these reporters opinions. What he doesn't realize is that they are mostly beat reporters and pay little heed to any team other than their own. Except of course to the teams in the news, like 'Tampa gets Lovie', or the Browns are in the news a lot, so those teams are at the front of their minds. They apparently totally forget the Rams shutouts last year.

Will it will be fun having the Rams show these guys up and prove that they don't know Jack.

 

[FRO]

I'm not going to get bent out of shape about it. When you haven't had a winning season since 2003 it's hard to get upset with outsiders picking you to suck again. I think we win between 7-10 games. The good thing is the Rams will get to prove these guys wrong on Sunday's.

 

[551staaa]

I would like to see these guys go through this process with each game picked by a completely unattached reporter. Something along the lines of the pick for the Detroit at St. Louis game is made by the reporter for Jacksonville. Assign every game in the schedule like that and then see what the record looks like. Of course, you assume that you have 32 guys that actually know what they're talking about. Good luck with that.

 

[Faceplant]

Shoot, if I am a reported for another team, I will take my chances with a win over the Rams. @RAGRam has it right in my book. Lets not expect the rest of the NFL, much less their respective homer media to give the Rams any respect. Why would they?? Go EARN that respect by kicking their teeth in!!

 

[Athos]

Faulty memories is my guess. This isn't 2011 when we won 2 games...