Don’t look now, but the Rams sit atop the NFC West

After an opening Sunday where all but one of the NFC West teams lost, its the Los Angeles Rams who sit atop the division. But for how long?

Los Angeles Rams fans get to gloat this week as San Francisco, Arizona, and Seattle all lost on Sunday.

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In Green Bay, the Packers beat the Seahawks 17-9, while in Detroit, the Cardinals lost to the Lions 35-23. Meanwhile, the 49ers were beaten handily by the Carolina Panthers 23-3 at home.

And in the cozy confines of the Coliseum, Los Angeles hammered the Indianapolis Colts 46-9.

Ok, it’s Week 1 and the overreaction to what we all saw on Sunday tends to peak on Monday. But it’s hard to ignore, even against a really bad Indianapolis defense, how well the Rams played on offense, defense, and special teams. If Los Angeles is clicking like that on any given Sunday, LA will be force to be reckoned with.

The biggest question to be answered is this: reality or mirage?

The Rams will get a better test next week when the Washington Redskins come out west. Kirk Cousins is a much better quarterback than either Scott Tolzien or Jacoby Brissett. So come late next Sunday afternoon, we’ll know if what we saw was more a trend or a blip.

All that said, what Los Angeles fans saw in the Coliseum yesterday was a remarkable 180 from what we all saw over the course of 16 games in 2016. Jared Goff looked like a No.1 overall pick, Todd Gurley looked more like Gurley, and the pass catchers the Rams have collected are the kind that have reshaped this team for the better.

And remember, Aaron Donald hasn’t even put on a uniform in 2017. Yesterday, you forgot about that holdout as defensive coordinator Wade Phillips had his unit swarming.

Related Story: Jared Goff emerges as the pick Rams hoped for

It’s highly unlikely the Rams duplicate what we all saw yesterday over the next 17 weeks. But they don’t need to. Yes, Seattle will win the West this season, but conceding that, it’s hard to imagine the Seahawks getting the automatic pass they’ve had for a few years now moving forward.

So, enjoy being at the top of the division today. And fans in Seattle, the clock might be ticking on your reign out west. The Rams might have something to say about that sooner than you think.