Rams are no longer overwhelming favorites in NFC West

[Merlin]

Oh and btw one thing everyone in the media continually overlooks: Goff is getting better year to year. Only thing that will derail that train is OL pass pro issues which I don't see happening.

 

[nighttrain]

it seems that all the moves made by our opponents are destined to work fine, while very move of the Rams will be a flop. Good reporting, hahahaha
train

 

[96GS#007]

The Pats weren’t creative in the SB, they copied the Bears. Now everyone else will.

The question is if the Rams adjust. In both games, receivers were open. Goff either didn’t see them or by design didn’t get to them due to the progression. As such, McVay needs to provide a creative outlet and Goff needs to speed up a tad. That combined with a bit better play at center will be huge. Unfortunately Sully was getting run over and Blythe was only marginally better.

 

[RamsSince1969]

Yawn....

Barely a week into free agency and this clown assumes the offseason is complete.

Apparently, roster strength is determined by a handful of players.

QB’s struggle w pressure up the middle. Who knew?

A rookie head coach from college is a “massive ....upgrade” over a veteran NFL coach without ever blowing an NFL whistle in practice?

The 9’ers didn’t have depth to overcome injuries. So now they do? When did that happen?

I suppose the gap will close between the Rams and the rest of the NFC West. I suppose they can’t go 6-0 against them every year with a combined score of 221to 114. If you are who the record says you are, the Rams are only twice as good as the rest of the NFC West. On second thought, maybe this guy is right ... it’s not a foregone conclusion.

Back to my offseason nap.

Yawn

How about Mr. Frank not mentioning (or did I miss it) us getting back Kupp? Hello........ Earth to Vincent Frank. Cooper Kupp is as good or better than Julian Edelman and Goff's favorite target. Be afraid Cards, niners and chickens. Be very afraid.

 

[tempests]

Everyone's starting over at 0-0, have to prove yourself every year in the NFL. 2018 was 2018.

 

[Legatron4]

I’m expecting a regression this year. But
The only team I’m worried about is Seattle. They can win 11 games at any time. We had a few games that we could have easily lost. Seattle(twice), KC, Minn, GB.

That could have made us 10-6 and second in the division. It’s possible we don’t overcome as many obstacles this year. But I believe in McVay and I think Goff will progress once again to really carry the team and be more consistent throughout the year.

 

[Mojo Ram]

The teams who are consistently good year in and year out (for the most part), have a core system in place from the top down. Owner, sometimes a President of football "things", GM, HC and QB.

A plug and play recipe for success from one season to the next in terms of players and position coaching because the system works. NE, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, New Orleans, Seattle, Kansas City etc. Rarely do these teams bottom out due to consistently making horrible decisions with money or personnel.

I feel like this is where the Rams have turned the corner. I'm not saying we'll be 12-4 for the next 10 years because we won't, even the great teams have down years...but the Rams finally have a system in place.

Seattle is still working within a system that works, it's why they haven't bottomed out. SF is trying to establish a system, same with AZ. As of today those two teams aren't even close. Both teams have football people in place that have been there awhile, especially in AZ, but there's still no stability and questions at QB in SF and AZ.

The Niners "seem" to have good football making decisions and at HC i guess, but GM Lynch is still very unproven in my eyes. I feel like his moves are a bit rushed if that makes any sense. Shanny Jr knows offense but can he connect with the players?

Keim in AZ is IMO not a quality talent evaluator but has had some success there. Bidwell Jr has done a fine job of resurrecting that once futile system"less" franchise, but they do have a rookie HC...again.

I just feel like the dark days are over for quite awhile fellas, i feel like a 9-7 season would be a season where the bottom fell out instead of going 3-13 to mark the occasion. I have confidence in the system in place to keep this ship slightly above water even when things go wrong.

Kroenke, Demoff, Snead, McVay, Goff. Stability and success. Let's keep it rolling.

[applause]

 

[ReekofRams]

I’m curious, just exactly when was it that sport’s media pundits ever declared that the Rams were the overwhelming favorites in the NFC West? No matter what the Rams did or will do, it wouldn’t make any difference in the biased minds of the sports world. Nope, nothing new here. Might as well move on.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I feel like this is where the Rams have turned the corner. I'm not saying we'll be 12-4 for the next 10 years because we won't, even the great teams have down years...but the Rams finally have a system in place.

It definitely feels we have things in place, as you say.

Even how we use the comp pick system. There is clearly a method to it.

And because of this system, we have a winning reputation leading to an attractive destination for more Weddle and Mathews type signings. Exactly how New England always seems to get that last quality year or two out of the right aging players.

 

[FrantikRam]

I’m curious, just exactly when was it that sport’s media pundits ever declared that the Rams were the overwhelming favorites in the NFC West? No matter what the Rams did or will do, it wouldn’t make any difference in the biased minds of the sports world. Nope, nothing new here. Might as well move on.

This past year everyone knew we would win the NFC West - everyone predicted it.

 

[ReekofRams]

This past year everyone knew we would win the NFC West - everyone predicted it.

That is just not so. There were about 25% of the sports media who had the 49ers before Garoppolo went down, and then they switched to to the sea chickens thinking that somehow Russel Wilson was going going to raise them up from the ashes, especially when the Rams level of play took a nosedive for a few games.

 

[FrantikRam]

That is just not so. There were about 25% of the sports media who had the 49ers before Garoppolo went down, and then they switched to to the sea chickens thinking that somehow Russel Wilson was going going to raise them up from the ashes, especially when the Rams level of play took a nosedive for a few games.

Lol I did not see anyone anywhere picking any other NFCW team. Would love to see an article that didn't have us winning the division.

As for our rivals catching us - they are. Well, not so much Seattle, but the Niners got a lot better and the Cardinals with Murray will be better as well. But I still think we're comfortably ahead for now.

 

[1maGoh]

Lol I did not see anyone anywhere picking any other NFCW team. Would love to see an article that didn't have us winning the division.

As for our rivals catching us - they are. Well, not so much Seattle, but the Niners got a lot better and the Cardinals with Murray will be better as well. But I still think we're comfortably ahead for now.

Going off of memory, I remember the breakdowns of each team taking about how amazing the niners would be, how the sea chickens are always in a position to win it all (and I mean the super bowl) with Russell Wilson, and how our off season moves would cause the locker room to explode, we were too healthy last season, Goff was so good in 2017 he was likely to regress in 2018, and McVay may not be able to work his magic 2 years in a row. Then at the end of the article they picked the Rams to win the division.

Tl;Dr the articles would poo all over us then pick us at the end anyway.

If you didn't read the picks you would assume that they picked someone other than the Rams.

 

[tomas]

Defensively, the Rams have already improved at Safety with the arrival of Weddle. While Peters had a poor first half of last season, he came on as the season matured. With Fowler re-signed, the Rams appear to have perhaps 3 remaining holes or problem areas, first being the replacement of Suh which will either likely involve Brockers moving back to his old position and finding another DE, or drafting a DT and leaving Brockers where he was last year. Second, replacing Barron shouldn't be all that difficult, and he may already be on the team. Some have Micah Kiser taking over next to Littleton, others have speculated that Ebukam could transition inside. Third, an Edge LOLB, improving on Ebukam's less than stellar performances. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo may be ready to compete for the position, and I thought perhaps the oft-injured Dominique Easley might make for an interesting battle, but he is yet to be re-signed. This position is also ripe for acquiring a highly talented draft pick.

Add a NFL budding star Morgan Fox to that list.Predicting 10+ sacks.

 

[Ellard80]

The nfl is a fickle beast... outside the patriots you really never know what teams are going to rise and fall year to year.

So this dude isn't saying anything significant.

 

[snackdaddy]

Actually, I was wrong about Bovada having them at 1/2. Action Network had them at 1/2. Bovada has them at 10 to 1 for the Superbowl. I got both from the same article on Ramswire.

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/03/17/nfl-rams-super-bowl-nfc-west-odds-betting/

 

[snackdaddy]

Yeah, I'm not sure how recent of accurate those odds are on Ramswire. But the point I was trying to make was the author of the article in the OP is making it sound like the Rams are going to have problems repeating. Some guys this time of year like to write things that will get them more clicks and views.

I see Seattle as the only challenger, but the Rams are clearly better. IMO, the only thing that could keep the Rams from winning the division would be a rash of injuries to key players. All things being equal, the Rams are easily the class of the division.

I know Jimmy GQ is supposed to be the next great thing. But when I watch him, and I did get to see plenty of him being in the 49ers market, I see a guy who makes bad decisions and can be inaccurate at times. In the Minnesota game he had 3 picks and was lucky it wasn't twice that. Minny defenders dropped a few would be INT's. I also saw him misfire several times with open receivers. His best game was 261 yards. Not exactly lighting it up. I don't see them winning more than 8 games if that. Even with a healthy Jimmy GQ.

The Cards are far from a contender. I don't expect them to improve much from the 3 wins they had last season.