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- Apr 28, 2017
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- RJ
I'll admit, as a lifelong Rams fan, I'm nervous to drink the Kool-Aid, even though it's been tasting so good lately. I hate that I'm constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Though I'm incredibly nervous and anxious to see how we play against real competition, one things for sure, there's some incredibly exciting games on the horizon.
I feel like we have the toughest schedule for the remaining stretch of the season. But this article did point out somethings I keep overlooking. One, other NFC opponents have some tough games coming up too. Second, these NFC contenders need to face us. We are one of their toughest games they'll have. This is the moment where we all find out who's the real contenders and who's the pretenders.
Time to get those horns up. It's gonna be a battle. Go Rams!
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...f-week-10-what-to-panic-about-and-what-not-to
The Debrief, Week 10: What to panic about -- and what not to
Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick [URL='http://blog.masslive.com/patriots/2012/10/optimism_returns_to_new_englan.html']are fond of saying that the NFL season doesn't start until after Thanksgiving. For the upstart Los Angeles Rams[/URL] and the rest of the teams that make up this crowded NFC playoff picture, that schedule is getting moved up a week this season.
The upcoming Week 11 clash between the Rams and Vikings -- two surprise 7-2 teams -- kickstarts a frantic stretch for Rams coach Sean McVay's crew, which will face the other four best teams in the NFC in a span of five weeks: at Minnesota in Week 11, vs. New Orleans in Week 12, vs. Philadelphia in Week 14 and at Seattle in Week 15. An organization whose onfield product has mostly been ignored or gawked at nationally since the middle of the last decade will be at the very center of the NFL universe for the next five weeks.
It's not that these Rams haven't been tested -- they have wins in Dallas and Jacksonville. But they're stepping up in class for the most high-profile Rams games since Mike Martz was the coach, Lovie Smith was the defensive coordinator and Georgia Frontiere was the team's owner. It's been a while.
The Rams score in bunches against sagging teams, embarrassing the Cardinals, Giants and Texans over the last three games by a combined score of 117-24. The defense, led by a burgeoning Defensive Player of the Year campaign from Aaron Donald and a ballhawking secondary, is getting that Wade Phillips boost. Now it's time to find out if this is just a great regular-season story or a team that could be playing in Minneapolis for a second time in February.
After a deeply unlucky regular season thus far, at least the Football Gods are showing mercy with the closing-stretch schedule in the NFC. The Rams' gauntlet is extreme but not atypical for this year's best teams. Consider these upcoming slates:
-- New Orleans Saints: The team's Week 12 showdown in Los Angeles -- which the NFL should absolutely flex to prime time (#FlexNOLA) -- starts a three-game stretch that includes games against the Panthers and Falcons. New Orleans has only a half-game lead over the the surging Panthers and two games left against Atlanta, meaning the NFC South is far from decided. As great as this reborn Saints defense has been, it hasn't been tested by a true offensive powerhouse since the Patriots in Week 2.
-- Seattle Seahawks: Over the next six weeks, the NFC's best team of the decade faces Atlanta, Philadelphia and the Rams at home while traveling to Jacksonville and Dallas. Following the season-ending ruptured Achilles suffered by cornerback Richard Sherman, no outcome for this Seahawks season would be truly surprising. Russell Wilson could carry them on the way to an MVP award, or they could slip right out of a deep NFC playoff picture because of this schedule.
-- Philadelphia Eagles: Will their season finale against the Cowboys even matter for seeding or the division title? Not if the Eagles prove to be road warriors with games in Dallas, Seattle and Los Angeles before that.
-- Minnesota Vikings: After hosting the Rams on Sunday, the Vikings face three consecutive road games against NFC teams in the playoff mix, including their Thanksgiving game in Detroit and trips to Atlanta and Carolina.
In short, this fascinating NFC season is just about to start, with Weeks 11-14 particularly crowded with conference-shifting matchups. You don't even have to wait for Thanksgiving...
I feel like we have the toughest schedule for the remaining stretch of the season. But this article did point out somethings I keep overlooking. One, other NFC opponents have some tough games coming up too. Second, these NFC contenders need to face us. We are one of their toughest games they'll have. This is the moment where we all find out who's the real contenders and who's the pretenders.
Time to get those horns up. It's gonna be a battle. Go Rams!
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...f-week-10-what-to-panic-about-and-what-not-to
The Debrief, Week 10: What to panic about -- and what not to
Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick [URL='http://blog.masslive.com/patriots/2012/10/optimism_returns_to_new_englan.html']are fond of saying that the NFL season doesn't start until after Thanksgiving. For the upstart Los Angeles Rams[/URL] and the rest of the teams that make up this crowded NFC playoff picture, that schedule is getting moved up a week this season.
The upcoming Week 11 clash between the Rams and Vikings -- two surprise 7-2 teams -- kickstarts a frantic stretch for Rams coach Sean McVay's crew, which will face the other four best teams in the NFC in a span of five weeks: at Minnesota in Week 11, vs. New Orleans in Week 12, vs. Philadelphia in Week 14 and at Seattle in Week 15. An organization whose onfield product has mostly been ignored or gawked at nationally since the middle of the last decade will be at the very center of the NFL universe for the next five weeks.
It's not that these Rams haven't been tested -- they have wins in Dallas and Jacksonville. But they're stepping up in class for the most high-profile Rams games since Mike Martz was the coach, Lovie Smith was the defensive coordinator and Georgia Frontiere was the team's owner. It's been a while.
The Rams score in bunches against sagging teams, embarrassing the Cardinals, Giants and Texans over the last three games by a combined score of 117-24. The defense, led by a burgeoning Defensive Player of the Year campaign from Aaron Donald and a ballhawking secondary, is getting that Wade Phillips boost. Now it's time to find out if this is just a great regular-season story or a team that could be playing in Minneapolis for a second time in February.
After a deeply unlucky regular season thus far, at least the Football Gods are showing mercy with the closing-stretch schedule in the NFC. The Rams' gauntlet is extreme but not atypical for this year's best teams. Consider these upcoming slates:
-- New Orleans Saints: The team's Week 12 showdown in Los Angeles -- which the NFL should absolutely flex to prime time (#FlexNOLA) -- starts a three-game stretch that includes games against the Panthers and Falcons. New Orleans has only a half-game lead over the the surging Panthers and two games left against Atlanta, meaning the NFC South is far from decided. As great as this reborn Saints defense has been, it hasn't been tested by a true offensive powerhouse since the Patriots in Week 2.
-- Seattle Seahawks: Over the next six weeks, the NFC's best team of the decade faces Atlanta, Philadelphia and the Rams at home while traveling to Jacksonville and Dallas. Following the season-ending ruptured Achilles suffered by cornerback Richard Sherman, no outcome for this Seahawks season would be truly surprising. Russell Wilson could carry them on the way to an MVP award, or they could slip right out of a deep NFC playoff picture because of this schedule.
-- Philadelphia Eagles: Will their season finale against the Cowboys even matter for seeding or the division title? Not if the Eagles prove to be road warriors with games in Dallas, Seattle and Los Angeles before that.
-- Minnesota Vikings: After hosting the Rams on Sunday, the Vikings face three consecutive road games against NFC teams in the playoff mix, including their Thanksgiving game in Detroit and trips to Atlanta and Carolina.
In short, this fascinating NFC season is just about to start, with Weeks 11-14 particularly crowded with conference-shifting matchups. You don't even have to wait for Thanksgiving...
