This thread got me thinking and prognosticating. It's only July and i haven't posted much about football yet.
BOOM! Pack a lunch for this one!
The best way for the Rams to get in is to straight up win the division, obviously.
That's a tall order but doable.
There are only six playoff spots and we've got to(more than likely) take the place of a playoff team from last year. Most of this post is nothing Earth shattering but i'm in the mood to type and over-analyze.
Here are last seasons NFC playoff teams:
Seattle(12-4)
Green Bay(12-4)
Dallas(12-4)
Carolina(7-8-1)
Arizona(11-5)
Detroit(11-5)
Most of us here or anyone outside of Panther's fans would say that Carolina won't get in(repeat). I agree that's the best answer, but someone from the NFC South will get in. Same with the East and North. That leave's 3 spots for the Rams to either win the West or win more games then everyone else.
I think the Rams becoming a fringe playoff team is more realistic so that means wildcard. Bottom line, finish no worse than 2nd place in the division which means kicking the tar out of both Arizona and SF and establishing that we're better than they are. That's huge.
If we assume that last years NFC playoff teams will be right there again, lets look at our schedule this year:
Arizona-twice
Seattle-twice
@ Green Bay
vs Detroit
That's six games(opportunities) to shove those playoff teams OUT or at least gain a tie breaker. Not too bad.
As we know, every year a "good" team will fade or bottom out. Everyone talks about SF slipping but they faded last year so they don't count in 2015.
Seattle? Quite possible but unlikely IMO. They have logged an awful lot of emotional Super Bowl baggage and all that, but they still have Wilson, Lynch + Jimmy Graham and a strong defense.
Green Bay? They "should" have represented the NFC but inexplicably choked it away at Seattle. As long as A.Rodgers is there they'll be there. Best QB in the league IMO and he has weapons and good coaching again. Their
middle of the Pack defense is still a perpetual problem. I still see no way they don't win the North. No slippage.
Dallas? I see Dallas much like i see the Packers but the Cowboys aren't as good at QB and will be changing some key personnel on offense this year(Murray OUT/McFadden IN). That's a big question mark for me, not because i think McFadden can't find holes with that great OLine...but because he needs to stay healthy. He has only played a full season once in his 7 year career. Behind McFadden they have no one. They(much like Green Bay) don't play that tough D that you get from teams in the NFC West either. I think they'll get more competition within the division this year too. Still, Romo has seemingly put it all together. He's 35 yrs old so better late than ever i guess. Dallas will likely win the division and be right there again, but they could slip.
Carolina? They won their last 4 games with stingy defense and a cupcake schedule(New Orleans, Tampa, Cleveland, Atlanta) to get in. Worst division in football and are any of these teams better than us? I think not. Rams will finish better than the 2nd place team in this division.
Which brings us to last years two wildcard teams...Arizona and Detroit. These are IMO the key teams to focus on now that the Niners are gonna roll out the
lead us to victory Kaepernick offense this season.
Arizona. Will the Cardinals slip out of playoff contention? I still like their offense with a healthy, old, rehabbing Carson Palmer...and the protection has improved. Their defense won't be nearly as stingy though IMO without Bowles running the show and to be honest, that D carried them last year even when Palmer was healthy at times. They're built to win now and that's usually when one of two things happens to a team like that: A) They win now, or B) they slip quickly.
I don't see another 11 win season from that defense and IMO they could easily slip back to an 8 or 9 win season.
It's up to the Rams to take this spot away from Arizona because we aren't going to the playoffs as a 3rd place team in this division. It's mathematically possible but i'm booking it right now that ain't going to happen.
Detroit? They were pretty good last year even with Megatron's injury problems. I'm not a big fan of Stafford. They were tough defensively, but you-know-who in the middle and that other you-know next to him are both gone now, so we'll see how their DLine responds. Detroit "should" be right there again as a wildcard team, but they still have protection problems up front and their run game is IMO suspect. Rams get the Lions in the ED this season. As long as our offense has improved at all i like that matchup. IMO they take a step back offensively in 2015.
Up and coming teams from last year? Possible wildcards? I'm not really buying into the Giants, or the Eagles or the Bears or the Saints(Rams own the Saints anyway). Minnesota "could" be a wildcard but they'd likely have to push out Detroit and i think the Lions are still better. I think Tampa improves quite a bit in a crappy division and wins 6 games. Atlanta still has no one to block or sack the QB. The Washington Native Americans will be terrible again.
Rams will have to win 10 games, beat out the Cardinals for 2nd place, and win more games/win head-to-head matchups with Detroit, Minnesota to get in.
Ok i'm done typing now.