Am I the only one who has an odd, peaceful easy feeling?

[AvengerRam]

I've always had a paradoxical emotional reaction to the Rams' success and failure.

When the Rams are winning and start most games as the favorite, I tend to get tense and a bit anxious. I worry that the team won't live up to expectations or will falter against an inferior opponent due to a few untimely mistakes.

By contrast, when the Rams are not expected to win, I'm much more relaxed and am able to go into each game with a vision of a strong performance and an upset victory.

Its why I enjoyed 1999, when we are an upstart nobody expected to go anywhere, so much more than 2001, when we were the prohibitive favorites throughout the season.

This year, we've experienced both. Early in the year, the expectations were tempered, growing with each win. Then, as the season wore on, the expectations grew. With them, so did my stress level (perhaps because, even at our best, I still had misgivings about an offense that can't seem to score 30 points with any regularity).

Now, in the blink of an eye, everything has changed. Our starting QB is down. We could be without out top 2 RBs. And we just lost the division title.

Only one thing... it ain't over. We still have one (very winnable) game left and multiple paths to the playoffs.

But there's no pressure in it. If we falter, nobody will be surprised given our injuries. If we succeed, though....

Don't get me wrong, even an optimist like me can't see this team contending for a title.

But, at least, in the next (hopefully) two weeks and (even more hopefully) beyond, I may not be screaming at the TV quite as much on Sunday. I may have a bit more of a peaceful easy feeling, confident that the Rams won't let me down.

I guess I'm already standing on the ground.

 

[Liberator]

I tend to feel that way every week until a certain point on Sunday, be it during the game or right before. Nothing I do can effect the outcome and I understand it that way and rationalize it that way, but then an hour before kickoff hits and I start to get anxious lol. I'm sure this week will be like that times ten.

 

[NJRamsFan]

Personally I go into every week blindly supporting the rams regardless if we are the favorites or underdogs and if we lose I’m crushed and if we win I’m ecstatic. To me it’s more enjoyable that way like yeah the losses hurt more but the victories are that much sweeter. So no I don’t feel more peaceful about this week because we have a built in excuse if we lose...I wanna crush the cards and if we don’t....Fuck them

 

[Rams8821]

Been a weird year. Dodgers down 3-1 come back to win the World Series.

Why not here why not now. Sure it doesn't look good right now but who knows what's right around that corner, that's why were are fans, that's why we watch, that's why we BELIEVE.

So yes I am at somewhat of peace, I BELIEVE we will beat AZ and I BELIEVE we can make a run in the playoffs.

Happy New Year.

Go Rams....and Tigers....(C-L-E-M-S-O-N)

 

[KJD_Ram]

Frisco just beat them in their own house with a 3rd string QB....we got this...

 

[Billy Baroo]

Rams favored by 5 on Sunday. We still have the number one defense and are expected to win.

 

[Picked4td]

This defense vs a backup qb? We better win. I’m feeling quite relaxed myself too tbh

 

[dang]

We will see if it’s our offense as a whole or if it was Goff’s performance that was holding the Rams back. If we win we earned a playoff spot. if we lose we don’t deserve a playoff spot. So let’s no worry what the Bears do. If Akers is healthy we will have a solid run game. If not then we need to look at some promising Rookie RBs to help carry the load. No worries on defense.

 

[Ramstien]

The way I see it this Wolford can't do any worst than Goff unless McVay fucked it all up!

 

[OnceARam]

The way I see it this Wolford can't do any worst than Goff unless McVay fucked it all up!

Sentence not computing. Too many double negatives. Are you saying "Wolford can't do worse than Goff because of McVay's playcalling"? or are you saying that "Goff is playing at a second-string level, regardless of the playcalling"?

Personally, I would agree with either statement.

 

[dieterbrock]

I totally get your vibe, and am feeling somewhat similar.
I am looking forward to this weekend game, pretty excited now that the dust has settled. We get to see some young talent we haven’t seen, see which players step up. McVay gets to flex his coaching muscles. The D gets to take out their frustrations...
should be really fun, so why not just enjoy it?

 

[Rams43]

My feelings are definitely not ‘peaceful or easy’.

Numbness would be more accurate.

Rams have been in playoff mode for the last 2 games and failed both tests. So yeah, I’ve lost a helluva lot of confidence in this Ram organization.

 

[SWAdude]

I can't see how any true fan can ignore what is happening without it concerning the future.

No peaceful easy feeling here. We had a small upward spike in McVays two first years and now two downward spikes.

Per the current direction, no. No easy feeling here. We have some big problems that will not be easily fixed in the short term.

Let us hope they do.

And I really hope Wolford lights it up if not for one reason. Maybe confirm where one of the problems are really. And where maybe one of the problems are not.

GO RAMS!!!

 

[Angry Ram]

I'm over the loss. I get over losses the same day these days. Whatever, not the last game. Next week I know they will compete no matter the situation. I haven't worried about that since 2012.

What is bothering me is the future with the QB. I drive 120+ miles on Tuesdays for one of my projects, and the whole drive I can't stop thinking about Jared. I already made my feelings clear on other threads, so I won't re-hash them here. But it's a serious fork in the road moment for him and the team. He has to be better, and if not he won't be here. Even if that means paying some team a 2nd round pick to take on the contract. It's not at that point yet, but we're approaching the exit sign on the highway for that.

I don't care what they do against Arizona. Obviously, I want to go out on a W. I'm just more focused long term rather than the 2020 playoffs.

 

[MadGoat]

Rams favored by 5 on Sunday. We still have the number one defense and are expected to win.

I think that line has swung way closer to a toss-up. If Murray is out, it might push back to -5.

 

[Q729]

And I know you won't let me down.

 

[99Balloons]

Sorry to say this.

I'm not over the Jets loss nor the Seahawks. When McVay said, "the standard is the standard", he probably does not even know what the standards are. Every press conference after a loss, it's the same diatribe of "it's my fault, I should have put our players in a better position to succeed, yada, yada....".

When other teams adapt on the fly, change their strategies in-game and maximize their personnel usage to eke out a win, that is the standards. That is about finding ways to win regardless whether the team is down by 3 or up by 11 points. Regardless of a team circumstances, a commitment to excellence and winning must be the standards.

With McVay and Goff, teams have figured out what the Rams' identity is and are mentally confident ready to kick sand into the Rams face come every Sunday. And with the Cards coming into Sofi Stadium, it might be the Rams second loss on their home turf and they'll be out of the Wild Card chase. Maybe McVay's fiance or Goff's girlfriend preoccupy their lives that winning football games come secondary to their significant others?

The long-term ramification if the Rams lose this Sunday: McVay may not be the Rams coach any longer and this entire offensive roster needs wholesale changes?

 

[AvengerRam]

McVay may not be the new kid in town any more, but even if he fails to take it to the limit, and Sunday finds us drinking our way to a tequila sunrise, on Monday we’ll still be looking for him to lead us in the long run. The NFL is a life in the fast lane, and even after our hopes for this year are already gone, one of these nights in the future, we’ll get our due. So close your lyin’ eyes and join me in a bit of optimism. I can’t tell you why, but I’m confident you’ll feel better if you just take it easy.

 

[Faceplant]

McVay may not be the new kid in town any more, but even if he fails to take it to the limit, and Sunday finds us drinking our way to a tequila sunrise, on Monday we’ll still be looking for him to lead us in the long run. The NFL is a life in the fast lane, and even after our hopes for this year are already gone, one of these nights in the future, we’ll get our due. So close your lyin’ eyes and join me in a bit of optimism. I can’t tell you why, but I’m confident you’ll feel better if you just take it easy.

While I do not share your optimism, I sure loved what you did there.

 

[Merlin]

I think the Rams dropping the last two games took the pressure off. At this point we are the team who nobody expects to do anything but we should beat the Cards and get in the playoffs.

Playoffs basically started a week early for us. There's still a chance we can get in with a loss but I hope that doesn't happen. I don't want to be that team. I'd prefer to see them get in by beating Arizona.

From there who knows. We probably have a less than 1% chance to win out in the playoffs, so we're basically done but it's gonna be fun to see what they have. This team is a trip man. If they get Whit back in similar form to what he was pre-injury and Akers can go the Rams become a tough matchup for anyone.