Our schedule isn't tough, our talent has improved, no excuses this year

[DaveFan'51]

The Redskins, 49ers, Browns, Bears, and Bucceneers are all bad football teams.

You have to be careful when facing, what is perceived, as a lesser team!! Remember what happen when we face the Lowly Jets!!
And I'm not too sure the Bears are going to be that Bad this year!

 

[Mojo Ram]

I think we think this because of Palmer, but they actually have a lot of young talent on that team.

I'm only picking them to miss the playoffs because they are in our division. If I were being totally neutral, I like the Cardinals a little.

I will say this about AZ. I think they have the widest margin for success and/or failure in the NFC. Palmer plays well for 16 gm's, the defense doesn't skip a beat, they learn how to run the ball...they could easily win 12 games.

Or Palmer gets hurt, they keep on slingin it, they have no running game, the pass protection breaks down, the lack of talent and pass rush on defense aren't covered up like last season when Bowles schemed them up...they could drop to a 6 win team just as easily.

 

[Mojo Ram]

9ers - 8-8
Browns - 7-9
Rams - 6-10
Bears - 5-11
Skins - 4-12
Bucs - 2-14

How exactly are those teams that surround us so much worse then we are?

The Browns and Skins are a dysfunctional mess. The common denominator of losing in Chicago is still there at QB. I think the Bucs under Lovie Smith actually improve quite a bit.

Also, all of those teams including the Rams have suffered from bad QB play and general instability at the position for several seasons now. I'd like to think that Nick Foles can solve that problem here. That's also another reason why i think Tampa rebounds, having drafted Winston.

 

[Mojo Ram]

The Browns are a good team with talent and have a great OL and a solid D.

They're a mess in every facet minus having some actual talent on the field.

 

[FrantikRam]

i agree with your sentiment. however, as noted, the fans need to see something from the team. fans cant block, run the correct routes, find the holes in the line, not commit bad penalties.
i live in columbus ohio. if you want futility, look no further than (no not the big 16, i mean 10) the columbus bluejackets. for like the 4th year in a row, they should make the playoffs, blah blah blah. the lack of fan support gets brought up. it can be quiet in nationwide arena, especially if the play is quiet. i was there when they beat the penguins in the OT playoff win with 2 goals in like 3 minutes. the place was deafening (i actually hurt my vocal cords, but thats another story) BECAUSE the players achieved what they were capable of. they came back for one, down 3-0 in the first period.
NOW, in your defense, columbus took a timeout at that point and since the fans believed in the team, they started chanting CBJ, over and over and over. after the game nick foligno admitted that when the team heard the fans cheering they were actually surprised and then agreed that they couldnt quit since the fans hadnt quit on them. it works both ways, right now, rams fans need to see a little more though.

Hey I live in Columbus too. What part of town do you live in?

 

[Faceplant]

Schedule looks pretty rough to me actually. If Foles stays healthy and the OL isn't horrendous, I see 8-8. I would actually be happy with that.

 

[yrba1]

The Rams have not earned the right to consider any games as gimmes

Exactly, that kind of mentality will lead to laying fat eggs like we did week 1 against the Vikings last year

 

[Irish]

We sure are quick to write off 11 straight losing seasons and suddenly think that the youngest team in the league (again, again, again, again) is suddenly going to eat the equivalent of Popeye's spinach and win 9+ games.

8-8 would be a massive improvement for this team, for the simple fact that they didn't tack up another losing season. 9-7 is a monumental achievement for them.

If the team has that 9-7 season, it means that the offensive line gelled quickly and performed WAY better than many expect, the defense is most likely a top 7-top 5 defense, Foles HAS to play 16 games at least as well as he has his entire career, if not improve markedly through maturity, and Gurley has to be a generational runningback, albeit in an abbreviated rookie of the year campaign.

Of those things mentioned, the only thing I have any confidence in is the defense and possibly Foles.

Count me in the camp of 7-9 or possibly 8-8.