What will the Rams record be this year?

[RedAlice]

The team who showed up to beat the Colts and Saints like a professional team who does this every week, is not even comparable to the team who played v Niners Thurs Night, Dallas, Panthers or you week 17. And, it's not match-ups or over achieving. It's playing as they should. Mostly, they play as they should not.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to take away how impressive those wins were. They were freaking impressive.

But when you have 4 games like that out of 16, can you really say that's how the team should play every week? Last year, the Seahawks blew out the 49ers, blew out the Saints, blew out the Broncos in XLVIII. They are the champs, but I would not expect them to play like that all the time. Further, I would say that matchups played a huge role in those blowout wins.

Yes, I can. I am not talking about a blow out win each week, just some consistency and discipline even when losing. Your team is on a much higher plain then the Rams, so it's really not possible to go to the comparison that you just did.

 

[RedAlice]

Most NFL experts have Stacy pegged for ....

Qutoe from Kearly.



Really, a Hawk fan is going to use "Most NFL experts" as a source of fact? Funny. Guess you have already forgotten, let's say, last year. Or the years prior.

I know what "Most NFL Experts" said prior to the SB.

I don't always agree with what they say, but I think they have a point in this case. When you prorate his numbers, Stacy was on pace for something like ~350 carries over 16 games during his stint last season. His counting stats were inflated by unsustainably high reps. Stacy never handled a load even close to that kind of level in college. Also, his rate numbers (yards per carry, etc) were not good.

Maybe it works for Stacy. It seems to be working for Alfred Morris. Not saying it can't work, but I would say the evidence suggests it is somewhat less than likely. At the very least, we should probably slow our roll before we crown him a future 1500 yard rusher.

Stacy also was not the starter at the beginning of the season. And he played the majority of his games with a back-up QB who was just above decent. IMO, what he did last year is harder than what many other RBs you probably admire did. And he did it while playing in the divison with the strongest D's in the league. Not like he was playing w the Pats v those front lines.

His carries will be less this season, that is true.

 

[kearly]

Those 4 games are outliers. Good teams and bad teams alike have outlier performances.

I'm not saying the Rams got lucky in those games, but it's not a question of consistency. A blowout doesn't happen because just one of the teams played their game, that is unless the matchups are extremely in their favor that day.

 

[RedAlice]

Those 4 games are outliers. Good teams and bad teams alike have outlier performances.

I'm not saying the Rams got lucky in those games, but it's not a question of consistency. A blowout doesn't happen because just one of the teams played their game, that is unless the matchups are extremely in their favor that day.

We will have to agree to disagree. I do like that you know quite a bit about the Rams, and even if I disagree with you - you have supporting reasons for your opinions. Respect.

 

[kearly]

Stacy also was not the starter at the beginning of the season. And he played the majority of his games with a back-up QB who was just above decent. IMO, what he did last year is harder than what many other RBs you probably admire did. And he did it while playing in the divison with the strongest D's in the league. Not like he was playing w the Pats v those front lines.

His carries will be less this season, that is true.

Yup, it's a tough slate no doubt. But unfortunately for the Rams, those NFC West run defenses probably aren't going away any time soon.

I know Clemens rate stats weren't quite as good as Bradford's, but the Rams were a better team when he was under center. Better win percentage, better point differential, better DVOA performances. The Rams were kinda sorta scary there for a while with Clemens.

The fact that the team actually improved after Bradford went down should probably quiet any notions that he's the long term answer in St. Louis. My biggest fear in the 2014 draft was that you guys were going to draft Manziel or Bridgewater. I had nightmares of you guys getting Watkins and Manziel with your two picks. Tavon Austin could be so good with a zany QB like Manziel throwing to him.

There are a lot of weaknesses on the Rams that could be covered up with an elite QB. The Rams haven't posted a winning season in a decade, and this is the reason why.

 

[kearly]

Those 4 games are outliers. Good teams and bad teams alike have outlier performances.

I'm not saying the Rams got lucky in those games, but it's not a question of consistency. A blowout doesn't happen because just one of the teams played their game, that is unless the matchups are extremely in their favor that day.

We will have to agree to disagree. I do like that you know quite a bit about the Rams, and even if I disagree with you - you have supporting reasons for your opinions. Respect.

Understand, I am not using "matchups" as somekind of buzzword to undermine a team's victory. The Colts beat the Seahawks, 49ers, and Broncos. And they got raped in their own stadium by the Rams. There are probably explainable reasons for that. The Colts vertical offense is a bad matchup for Seattle's cover three. Luck throws a lot of picks when you pressure him, and the Rams have one of the best pass rushes in the league.

When I say "matchups", I'm simply talking about the logistics of how teams win football games. There are specific things the Colts did to make the Seahawks look bad, and there are specific things the Rams did to make the Colts look bad.

 

[RedAlice]

Stacy also was not the starter at the beginning of the season. And he played the majority of his games with a back-up QB who was just above decent. IMO, what he did last year is harder than what many other RBs you probably admire did. And he did it while playing in the divison with the strongest D's in the league. Not like he was playing w the Pats v those front lines.

His carries will be less this season, that is true.

Yup, it's a tough slate no doubt. But unfortunately for the Rams, those NFC West run defenses probably aren't going away any time soon.

I know Clemens rate stats weren't quite as good as Bradford's, but the Rams were a better team when he was under center. Better win percentage, better point differential, better DVOA performances. The Rams were kinda sorta scary there for a while with Clemens.

The fact that the team actually improved after Bradford went down should probably quiet any notions that he's the long term answer in St. Louis. My biggest fear in the 2014 draft was that you guys were going to draft Manziel or Bridgewater. I had nightmares of you guys getting Watkins and Manziel with your two picks. Tavon Austin could be so good with a zany QB like Manziel throwing to him.

There are a lot of weaknesses on the Rams that could be covered up with an elite QB. The Rams haven't posted a winning season in a decade, and this is the reason why.

Says the Preacher to the Choir.

 

[RedAlice]

Those 4 games are outliers. Good teams and bad teams alike have outlier performances.

I'm not saying the Rams got lucky in those games, but it's not a question of consistency. A blowout doesn't happen because just one of the teams played their game, that is unless the matchups are extremely in their favor that day.

We will have to agree to disagree. I do like that you know quite a bit about the Rams, and even if I disagree with you - you have supporting reasons for your opinions. Respect.

Understand, I am not using "matchups" as somekind of buzzword to undermine a team's victory. The Colts beat the Seahawks, 49ers, and Broncos. And they got raped in their own stadium by the Rams. There are probably explainable reasons for that. The Colts vertical offense is a bad matchup for Seattle's cover three. Luck throws a lot of picks when you pressure him, and the Rams have one of the best pass rushes in the league.

When I say "matchups", I'm simply talking about the logistics of how teams win football games. There are specific things the Colts did to make the Seahawks look bad, and there are specific things the Rams did to make the Colts look bad.

I am a fan of the Colts. I watched more of their games last season than I did any other team that is not the Rams. Well, I am friends with a huge Colts fan, so I was mostly forced to do so. They have the Chargers ex-DC as their DC, and he's a friend of many friends around here. Yay Greg.

I still don't agree with you. Yes, Luck does. Colts and Saints are not the same team. I still, after the good and the bad of last season and after watching those games over and over, I still think the Rams just need some focus and discipline and sense of something not definable. They have no leader.

The games they lost in massive disaster fashion, Kearly, those games were not lost because of a bad match-up. Not at all.

 

[chris98251]

Rams need Eddie George and Steve McNair plain and simple, Bradford just doesn't bring that fear factor, you don't have that beat you to death running game and the QB that makes you pay for cheating on it. Fisher has never really respected what a game changer at QB can do. We will see if an improved Rams offensive line materializes and if you have the backs to make everyone be honest, at least then Bradford may have the ability to show that he may be adequate and the team rides the defense.

Fishers biggest issues has always been team discipline though, as the Titans coach and as we seen multiple times last year, Rams don't have the mental toughness to weather the pressure and taunting that other teams do. Rather than put up and or shut up the punch and brawl, lose all focus.

They are much more talented than that, maybe not in the top third yet but rising, building on that is hard when you're burning your own house down.

 

[RedAlice]

Rams need Eddie George and Steve McNair plain and simple, Bradford just doesn't bring that fear factor, you don't have that beat you to death running game and the QB that makes you pay for cheating on it. Fisher has never really respected what a game changer at QB can do. We will see if an improved Rams offensive line materializes and if you have the backs to make everyone be honest, at least then Bradford may have the ability to show that he may be adequate and the team rides the defense.

Fishers biggest issues has always been team discipline though, as the Titans coach and as we seen multiple times last year, Rams don't have the mental toughness to weather the pressure and taunting that other teams do. Rather than put up and or shut up the punch and brawl, lose all focus.

They are much more talented than that, maybe not in the top third yet but rising, building on that is hard when you're burning your own house down.

Once again, agree with all. Fisher really is confusing to me: He seems tough and smart, but he lets his team play with unbridled emotion that is not controlled and he just stands there on the sidelines, stone-faced. Even if the players yelling are 5 inches from him.

I highlighted your comment I agree with the most though. I am convinced that Fisher wants to win WITHOUT a QB. At all. He seems to think the whole position is irrelevant to the game. If he can get B opperating at a B- or mabye B, with some C+ level, he is happy. He wants to win without a QB. That is my new opinion from watching games last season.

 

[RolandDeschain]

I really don't understand how Fisher's Rams can be so bipolar regarding discipline. It's strange. Like different sets of players one week from another in some cases, and you can't explain it away as youth because the Seahawks are BARELY older than the Rams. We get a lot of penalties but I can't remember the last time we lost discipline in a noticeable way as a team.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

I think the Rams can go 9-7 this year, even in a "tough" NFC West division. I think Arizona will be worse this year, and will flip places with the Rams in division standings. I also don't think San Francisco will be able to maintain what they've been doing over the past few years. They could easily drop a game or even both to the Rams. Toss-up either way. And Kaepernick may have started to figure out the NFC West, but the NFC West has started to figure out Kaepernick now. Other than that, they have the AFC West to feast on just like the rest of us, and tough defenses are tough to beat, no matter what the offense looks like.

And I'm not convinced that Bradford spells gloom and doom for that franchise. Certainly he isn't a top-caliber quarterback, but consider the Seahawks with T-Jack for comparison, or the Cardinals with any number of the backups, wannabes, or random guys they've picked up off the corner at Home Depot to play quarterback since Warner left. They still posted a 10-6 record last year in the same tough NFC West division as the Rams.

Just a hunch, but I think the Seahawks and Rams are teams on the rise, while the Cardinals and 49ers are teams on the (maybe slight) decline. We'll see.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

I don't know if we've started to "figure out" Kaepernick. Dude ran all over us in the NFCCG. Keep him in the pocket and he sucks, though.

 

[RolandDeschain]

I have a sneaking suspicion about Kaepernick.

I think he's not very strong mentally, and by that I mean the fact that Aldon Smith forced and recovered a fumble right on the first play of the game started him off on a mental high that kept him from being intimidated as per usual in our house. I think he'd have had a much worse game if we had started off with a strong scoring drive instead of Wilson getting caught with his pants down being cute.

I am making a prediction based on this opinion I have of Kaepernick, and that prediction is that Kaepernick will have a worse game in Seattle in week 15 this year.

I might be wrong, but I don't think I am. Anybody that wants to try and put me down, screenshot this and/or bookmark it to rub in my face if I turn out to be wrong about it. (Which I very well may be, I'm not all that confident on this prediction, it's something I just 'suspect', lol.)

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

I don't know if we've started to "figure out" Kaepernick. Dude ran all over us in the NFCCG. Keep him in the pocket and he sucks, though.

It took half a game for us to adjust and shut him down when he changed his game plan to run-run-run-think-about-passing-run-run-again. He has only so many game plans.

And I agree with Roland. That game started out as tipped in the 49ers's favor as possible, we were horrible, horrible, horrible in the red zone, we missed an enormous amount of points, and we still ended up winning by six.

We have his number, even after overcoming those odds.

 

[Sherman4Prez]

They finished 7-9 with a lesser OL, DL, secondary , RB's and Clemens starting half the year. To say they'll not be any better is simply keeping your heads in the clouds. This team is dangerous. Stacy running behind Robinson and Saffold is scary good. Then you have a guy like Tavon Austin or Cook lurking. I'm not even gonna mention the defense. Rams are scarier than the Niners or Cards. Plus they're dirty as hell!!!

Oh, and their single biggest addition is Greg Williams. They put the head on the body of the snake with this dirty hire. Buckle your chin straps, it's getting out of control this year.

 

[5_Golden_Rings]

Its good to get an outside perspective on my team. It's been a long time since we've been at 500 or better. We have the 3rd hardest schedule. What record do you see us finishing with? Obviously I hope we go 16-0 but I sure hope we don't end up 1-15 or 0-16!!! Thanks!

12-4

You heard it here first: not only are the Rams going to win the NFC West, they are going to win the Super Bowl. No one will have an answer for that defensive line, and Sam Bradford will finally stay healthy and gel with his up and coming receiving core.

 

[RolandDeschain]

You heard it here first: not only are the Rams going to win the NFC West, they are going to win the Super Bowl. No one will have an answer for that defensive line, and Sam Bradford will finally stay healthy and gel with his up and coming receiving core.

In other equally likely news, 49ers fans will stop referencing the past all the time when a modern argument comes up that they don't like, too.

 

[chris98251]

Its good to get an outside perspective on my team. It's been a long time since we've been at 500 or better. We have the 3rd hardest schedule. What record do you see us finishing with? Obviously I hope we go 16-0 but I sure hope we don't end up 1-15 or 0-16!!! Thanks!

12-4

You heard it here first: not only are the Rams going to win the NFC West, they are going to win the Super Bowl. No one will have an answer for that defensive line, and Sam Bradford will finally stay healthy and gel with his up and coming receiving core.

You forgot to add that Harbaugh is going to win Sportsmen of the year and Kaepernick is going to stop throwing his receivers into trains.

 

[5_Golden_Rings]

You heard it here first: not only are the Rams going to win the NFC West, they are going to win the Super Bowl. No one will have an answer for that defensive line, and Sam Bradford will finally stay healthy and gel with his up and coming receiving core.

In other equally likely news, 49ers fans will stop referencing the past all the time when a modern argument comes up that they don't like, too.

You forgot to add that Harbaugh is going to win Sportsmen of the year and Kaepernick is going to stop throwing his receivers into trains.

Ye fools doubt mine own sincerity, but in the end ye shall witness my foreseeing was just and true. Behold the next NFL dynasty: the (soon to be) Los Angeles Rams.

Stand flummoxed and transfixed as the hitherto hapless St. Louis Also-Rams become what was only hinted at below:

http://www.break.com/video/ugc/la-rams-rap-song-443788

(skip ye to 0:15)