Just curious for those anticipating a close game this Saturday night...

[LACHAMP46]

is there any reason we shouldn’t feel confident about winning this game pretty comfortably?

haha, this Falcon team was in the super bowl last year.

Glad you said it....with the former MVP of the league....at any time they could play great.

 

[JackKirbyFan]

I don't see a close game. We're going to blow them out of the water in prime time.

Agreed. We will beat them handily.

 

[MrRiceGuyRJ]

I'll admit, I'm nervous. I don't think our team is built to stop an offense like the Falcons. Their running game makes me super nervous, and obviously Julio should make every defense nervous.

I'm feeling relatively confident in our offense and special teams matchup. We may not completely man-handle them in that aspect, but I feel like we'll have our opportunities.

Maybe just like a lot of the year, I'm still reflecting on the Rams being the Rams of the past and I'm nervous to get too optimistic.

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

atlanta has scored 353 points this season. the rams have scored 478 points. which team should be more worried about the opposition's offense?

why are some of you nervous about this game?

.

 

[ScotsRam]

.

atlanta has scored 353 points this season. the rams have scored 478 points. which team should be more worried about the opposition's offense?

why are some of you nervous about this game?

.

I’m nervous about any and all playoff games. Anything can happen.

 

[GabesHorn]

Let me add a "FLY IN THE OINTMENT" that no one has mentioned as I live down here in Northern Florida. It's been colder this weekend and all through the falcons practice & travel time. They will be lucky to even get to practice & only practice in their bubble. Wondering when or how they are planning on leaving as we have winter hurricane effecting the south unlike anything seen before in even decades. I'm 60 and never seen it snow in Tallahassee for 4 decades & the negative 10+ degrees these falcon players are moving around in can't be making things easy on them. It may be NOTHING. I just know folks down here are not and don't adjust well to weather this severe. They will have had no practice on real grass for this game.If they don't leave early I wonder how they get out? GO RAMS!!!

 

[Rainram]

.

atlanta has scored 353 points this season. the rams have scored 478 points. which team should be more worried about the opposition's offense?

why are some of you nervous about this game?

.

And when people start citing season stats, I still think to myself how there was a learning curve. That’s kind of gotten overlooked at this point due to our success.

All the talk in the beginning of the year...
Switching to a 3-4
Donald missing a game (...and some)
All new pass catchers
Watkins behind the curve from coming in late
McVay learning as a HC and OC (see Skins and Vikes games)
The entire last game really not counting
How many games we stopped playing offense in the 3rd and 4th quarters

Factor all that in.

Now you have a relatively rested team. With more cohesion and better understanding of the concepts. McVay with an even better grasp of his duties as well as his personnel.

Take out Game 16...
We started 3-2 (coulda been 4-1).
Missed AD a bit. Defense and Wade learning still. Sammy still adjusting. Oline still gelling. Goff still shaking off Fisher.

Ended 8-2.
AD full strength. McVay figuring out how he wants to use people (Austin is still a confusing piece). Wade and the D on the same page more. Goff more developed. Gurley playing like a man on a fucking mission!

This team is really hitting its stride I think. If we play with no, or few mistakes, we’re dangerous.

 

[Q729]

I see Ficken's kickoffs screwing with the ST coverage and allowing some bad returns or even a TD or two. Or maybe he costs us about a TD's worth of points on missed FGs and XPs.

Or maybe he'll find a way to channel GZ and nail 50+ yarders and XPs with ease!

 

[Adi]

Gotta be a little afraid of their pass rush and Recievers.

That said I still feel our team is superior .

 

[RamFan503]

It’s the freaking playoffs. We ain’t playing against scrubs here. The Rams are not ‘clearly a better team’ when they have an 11-5 record vs a 10-6 record. The falcons went 10-6 in a division with two other great playoff teams. Why on earth are you all so confident?!

I get it but mostly because we are a better team on both sides of the ball and even without the leg we are better on special teams.

Atlanta is a good team and their defense has improved over the season but we are simply the better team.

 

[ArkyRamsFan]

It’s the freaking playoffs. We ain’t playing against scrubs here. The Rams are not ‘clearly a better team’ when they have an 11-5 record vs a 10-6 record. The falcons went 10-6 in a division with two other great playoff teams. Why on earth are you all so confident?!

ScotsRam,
You, my friend have nailed it. Could not have said it any better than your post. It is absolutely the "freaking playoffs" and if people think it is going to be much like the regular season they are going to be unpleasantly surprised. Everything and especially the intensity is ramped up to mega levels and we need to be ready for it.
Why? because the Falcons know this and they'll be ready......

~ArkyRamsFan~

 

[Gr8 Rambino]

Yeah the Rams 99’ inexperience cost them in the playoffs.

That’s a bunch of horseshit especially considering the second youngest team doesn’t celebrate TD’s, has very minimal after the whistle/15 yd penalties compared to the previous 5 years of Fisherball, and don’t do anything stupid off the field. They even reportedly practice better when they get time off.

Our young team is mature asf and not only that but we have had a playoff game already in Seattle and multiple ‘ big’ games. We didn’t get blown out in any.

Plus a lot of them have played in big Bowl/ rivalry games ( which obviously aren’t the same level but were the top of the pressure packed games at the time) so they know what to expect, how to prepare, and how to handle it.

Now it might be a bit of an issue if our first game was on the road in the playoffs but its not. I really think our D is going to set the tempo of this game and our offense is going to smother the hope out of them. With a ST play randomly. Watch.


Stat of the day:

The Rams are 9-0 when Gurley has 20 or more touches.

We need to start early and often with Gurley and start with the PA early as well. After we establish those two we can mix everything in there to keep them completely off balanced as McVay does.


Food for thought:
The Falcons play the same defense the Seahawks do and their offense hasn’t scored more than 24 in almost 6 weeks.

Bro!

Thank you! very well said. This team displays a level of emotional maturity that I don't see on a lot of teams. Yes, they mess up but they're relentless to make sure they correct the mistakes.

Gotta luv that!

I luv this team

 

[shovelpass]

.

atlanta has scored 353 points this season. the rams have scored 478 points. which team should be more worried about the opposition's offense?

why are some of you nervous about this game?

.

Because it's the NFL, and the playoffs. Plenty of teams that were "better" have lost to lesser teams.

 

[Rmfnlt]

I'll admit, I'm nervous. I don't think our team is built to stop an offense like the Falcons. Their running game makes me super nervous, and obviously Julio should make every defense nervous.

I'm feeling relatively confident in our offense and special teams matchup. We may not completely man-handle them in that aspect, but I feel like we'll have our opportunities.

Maybe just like a lot of the year, I'm still reflecting on the Rams being the Rams of the past and I'm nervous to get too optimistic.

Yeah... for some, it takes longer for the Fisher cloud to lift... I'm past the resignation stage (Rams don't really have a chance to win any game... if they do, it's more luck and will be followed up by a devastating loss to a team they should have beaten).

I feel they can beat any team now... it's the degree of confidence that I am still figuring out.

 

[Daniel]

It’s going to be a close game. Falcons have rarely been blown out under Quinn.

 

[EastRam]

What ever McVay does I pray he just keeps using TA the same way he's been using him for the year.

Limit his touches and don't depend on TA for anything other than a decoy.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Because it's the NFL, and the playoffs. Plenty of teams that were "better" have lost to lesser teams.

not this week.

.

 

[Steve808]

I'm sure some of you remember the 1999 -2000 GSOT playoff run?

The Rams came out firing on all cylinders against the viqueens. We got up 14-0 but at halftime, we trailed 17-14. I was nervous as heck. Then Tony Horne "o plenty" took the second half kick off to the house and the route was on. The Rams won 49-37 with the viqueens making it close with some trash time scores and onside kicks.

Bring on the Bucs. We start the game with a first play turnover and it was a knock down drag out affair. I remember before "the catch" it was 3rd and 4 and I was thinking they would get the first down. I was shocked to see the bomb until Ricky Proehl pulled it in for a TD. The bucs mounted a last drive but we held on to win. Rams won 11-6

Onto SB 34. IN typical fashion, Fisher's team fought tooth and nail to the end, only to lose because the Rams had the quick strike offense. I was hoping the Rams would blow it open but it ended up close, and one of the best finishes in SB history. Rams won 23-16.

Blowing out the falcons would be great but I expect a tough game. I'm confident that Rams have the talent to pull out this game but to think it will be easy or a blowout seems far fetched IMHO. I believe the Rams will win but it won't be a walk in the park. I believe even this season, the Rams blew out below .500 teams but the most of the other games were fairly close (not counting the pre-season -season finale with the whiners)

 

[jacktheripper85]

It’s going to be a close game. Falcons have rarely been blown out under Quinn.

I think it will be our Quinn doing the blowing out tonight. With all the focus on Donald, Quinn with a week of rest should be primed for a monster game.

 

[Ellard80]

You were right it wasn't really that close.