St. Louis Rams: First 5 games will make or break them

It is always key to have a good start to a season in the NFL. Any team can win on any given Sunday, but the first five games to start the season for the Rams are crucial.

The Rams play host to the Seattle Seahawks in week one. I Have debated with several people as to if playing the Seahawks in week one, helps or hurts St. Louis.

There is no question that Seattle is the best team in the NFC West, if not the entire NFL. They acquired pro bowl tight end Jimmy Graham from the New Orleans Saints , drafted return specialist Tyler Lockett and return the core of the defense.  The Rams have done even more than the Seahawks, bringing in a new quarterback and drafting a franchise caliber running back in Todd Gurley. Foles in his short three year career has not faced off with the Seahawks, which makes for a very exciting matchup in St. Louis. The Rams always seem to play Seattle tough, but can the Rams really come out and defeat the team that has gone to the Superbowl two years in a row?

Prediction: The Rams playing at home does help a lot, but with a new QB, new offensive line and new OC, the Rams will struggle to find what works one game into the year.

Seahawks 28   Rams 17

In week two, the Rams travel to play the Washington Redskins, a team in which doesn’t have an identity. RGIII has had an injury-rittled start to his career while head coach Jay Gruden has yet to find out what he wants to do with the team.The defense is questionable while the offense lacks fire power without Griffin. Rams on the road should take care of business easily. But, Foles in his career against the Redskins is just 2-2. However, Foles should get the job done against his former rival.

Prediction: The Rams should lead this game wire-to-wire. The Rams are top to bottom the best team in this match-up at nearly every position. Rams win easily.

Rams 31   Redskins 14

After the first two games, the Rams head into a brutal 3-game stretch before their bye week. The first step will be to tangle with the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in week 3. Big Ben is coming off of a career year through the air while the defense still remains average. The Steelers used their first round draft pick on OLB Bud Dupree who many believe to be a great pass rusher in the NFL. This game is 50-50 for the Rams. It would be a huge win for the team and give them great momentum going forward, but if they lose, it sets up for a really tough match up with rival Arizona Cardinals.

Prediction: This will be a close fought battle. Le’veon Bell will be the match-up to watch. Can the Rams contain him and force Big Ben to throw 40 passes in this game? If they can I like the Rams’ chances. Nod goes to the Rams. The Steelers usually struggle to start the year. The Rams are lucky to catch them early in the year.

Steelers 24   Rams 28

At this point, the Rams’ could be 2-1 or 1-2 heading into this match-up. If they are 2-1, this give the Rams great momentum as they travel to Arizona. The Cardinals will have starting quarterback Carson Palmer back from injury while Larry Fitzgerald continues to have a hall-of-fame career. The Cardinals have a stout defense and will look to contain Gurley and Mason as well as Foles through the air. This will be a tough road win, and I don’t think they will take this one.

Prediction: This game usually is very boring. Not a lot of points, good defensive an special teams play, leading to the winner only scoring 14-17 points. Foles lost to the Cardinals just one game before he broke his collarbone a season ago. This makes for an interesting rematch. If the Rams lose this game, I fully expect them to defeat the Cardinals on their home field.

Rams 13   Cardinals 17

The season just continues to get harder as the Rams then travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers. Luckily, the Rams won’t have to play the Packers in sub-degree weather but unfortunately for the Rams, Aaron Rodgers is nearly unbeatable at home. Eddie Lacy should be at 100 percent while Rodgers hasn’t thrown an interception in about 100 years at Lambeau field.  Foles did defeat the Packers in Green Bay in 2013, however, Rodgers was out due to injury.

Prediction: As much as I would like to see the Rams go into Green Bay and knock off Rodgers on his own field, it just isn’t likely. The Rams aren’t at their level quite yet, but are headed in that direction.

Rams 24  Packers 35

This would put the Rams at a 2-3 record going into their bye week. That would be a very disappointing start to the season, but still would leave plenty of room for the Rams to improve as the season progresses. Spoiler Alert! Staring the season 5-0 headed into the bye isn’t going to happen. Best case scenario would be 4-1 with a solid shot at 3-2. But with the pedigree of the teams they will play in the first five games of the season, 2-3 isn’t a failure.

Thoughts?