3 predictions for the Rams at Titans in Week 16

The Los Angeles Rams head to Music City for a Christmas Eve game against AFC South contender Tennessee, with playoff positioning on the line.

The Los Angeles Rams are doing what they do best in Week 16, and that’s to go on the road. LA will spend Christmas Eve in Tennessee playing a good Titans team who is in the playoff mix with two games remaining in the 2017 season.

As are the Rams.

With two weeks to go, and a game against a quickly improving San Francisco 49ers still a week away, Tennessee and Los Angeles will be one of the best games this Sunday.

Similarly, Tennessee has a big divisional showdown next week against AFC South leader Jacksonville.

All these make for a critical contest as playoff positioning, and NOT sitting players, are at the top of the list where game planning is concerned.

Through 14 games, and what seems like a season where the Rams were always on the road, they have another game away from the Coliseum, which isn’t a bad thing. Outside of a game at Minnesota, Los Angeles has been a strong road team going 6-1 on the road while only being 4-3 at home.

After a thorough drubbing of the Seahawks (also on the road), the Rams would like to keep the good times rolling, before a final 2017 regular season showdown at the Coliseum.

With so much to say about the 2017 Los Angeles Rams, all mostly good, one thing NFL pundits will point to when this amazing run eventually ends, will be how good this young LA team was on the road.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, will ever point to the Los Angeles Coliseum and say what a big home field advantage it provides, like what the Seahawks have with the 12th Man at CenturyLink.

That’ll just never happen.

So instead, the Rams embraced being on the road and made it a trusted friend. With an away record of 6-1, look for Los Angeles to take that confidence to Tennessee, who is 5-1 at home.

Let that word “confidence” be key when looking at Week 16. The Rams are a confident team home and away, but especially after dismantling Seattle last week, a game also on the road.

Early or not, the Los Angeles Rams are a team that is increasingly harder to find flawed. It’s been clicking on offense, defense, and special teams. Tennessee has been good at home, but not as good as LA is on the road.

That’s a trend that will continue this Sunday, as the Rams get another road victory.

Running back Todd Gurley has rocketed into MVP consideration with another strong performance in Week 15 against an undermanned Seahawks team. But in all honesty, it was part of a body of work that includes an incredible December.

Frankly, he’s had a great rebound in 2017, and with two games to go, and with he and the Rams offense in a nice groove, look for Gurley to finish these last two games strong.

But let’s be honest. As good as Los Angeles has been, they often don’t get there due. Being out West is a part of it, but let’s also be honest about an NFL media that continues to swoon over Tom Brady. Don’t misunderstand, Brady is a surefire Hall of Famer, and blah, blah, blah, yes I know.

Related Story: 3 reasons Gurley deserves MVP consideration after Week 15

Don’t forget, Gurley was effectively in the tank last season. The Rams were in the tank.

The franchise as a whole was, thanks to a decade of poor to mediocre.

THAT alone should make people take note of what he’s done with a quarterback who was labeled a bust coming into the season, a 31 year old first time head coach, and uncertainty dripping from a team coming off of a dumpster fire in 2016.

Gurley has shouldered a load as the season has wound to Week 16. He’s gotten better and seems to be running with additional purpose with every carry.

It’ll continue this week.

The Rams offense will ride Gurley at Tennessee just as they have all December and 2017 as a whole.

The Los Angeles Rams continues to make believers, especially after the blowout win at Seattle 42-7. Spare me the LA fan who says they knew they’d be leading the division and being talked about for a legitimate Super Bowl run.

No one saw this, this year.

No one.

However……,
14 games into this season, and with a 10-4 record under their belt, the Rams are the real deal.

Sean McVay is a miracle worker, Jared Goff is NOT a bust, Todd Gurley is back and better than ever, and Aaron Donald is going to get paid.

Did I mention special teams?

I say all this to say what I said last week; the Los Angeles Rams are again the better team. They were better than the Seattle Seahawks, and in Week 16 they are better than the Tennessee Titans.

Next: 3 storylines for Rams against Titans in Week 16

At this time of year, the best of the NFL win the games they don’t just need to win, and the Rams need to win this week, but they win the games where they are the better team. As I write this, having watched 14 Rams games and four LA preseason games, I can say that Los Angeles IS the better team.

Which means a win in Week 16.

Rams 24
Titans 16