Los Angeles Rams: 5 grades as they hit the bye week

The Los Angeles Rams hit their bye week with a record of 10-1. What grades do they earn as they prepare to hit the stretch of the 2018 season?

The inclination as the Los Angeles Rams head into their bye week and fans kick-off their holiday season is grades that are A+ or better (if that were even possible). They’ve been very good, and at times spectacular, especially if you look at their Week 11 win against the Kansas City Chiefs.

But you’d be wrong to paint with such a broad brush.

First, picking Los Angeles to win the NFC West as early as the day after the draft seemed logical, although I’d be remiss if I didn’t confess to liking the San Francisco 49ers as a surprise in the division given the addition of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Offensively, you have to love what the Rams are doing. Head coach Sean McVay has LA both setting the pace and positioned to keep up with it given the performances of both the New Orleans Saints and the Chiefs.

Defensively, it’s been hit and miss trending towards miss. A pragmatic fan will note the inconsistencies if not outright disappointment where such reasonable judgment is due. They haven’t been very good to even feel comfortable about. And expecting them to win where they need to score 50 plus a game seems a Fool’s Paradise.

Then again, maybe not.

Bottom line is through 11 games, they Rams look like one of three to five teams who can win it all in 2018.