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Los Angeles Rams: 5 bold predictions for Saturday night against the Cowboys

By Steve Rivera

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 30: Los Angeles Rams run into the stadium to play the San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 30, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Rams won 48-32. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 30: Los Angeles Rams run into the stadium to play the San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 30, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Rams won 48-32. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 19: Robert Woods #17 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates his touchdown catch with teammates during the first quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 19: Robert Woods #17 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates his touchdown catch with teammates during the first quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

This is a hard game to predict a winner. Writing for the Los Angeles Rams these last three seasons, I’ve seen a team that was an absolute dumpster fire under Jeff Fisher in 2016, to being a bonafide Super Bowl contender in 2018.

Under Sean McVay, the Rams are a contender not just this season, but for the next few. After guiding Los Angeles to a 13-3 record, and being the toast of the National Football League for the better part of this year, Los Angeles is at that moment where winning a playoff game isn’t just assumed, but absolutely expected.

It’s hard to find a lot of analysts who think this is a good matchup for LA. The Cowboys are a team who can limit you with a solid defense, and grind it out on offense.

The Rams meanwhile have shown the ability to light up a scoreboard with relative ease, and not just outscore an opponent, but leave them in the dust.

But…,

Playoff football is different football, plain and simple. Los Angeles did struggle if not lose momentum following their bye week, and that’s hard to ignore. The Rams began to look absolutely mortal in subpar games against the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and the Philadelphia Eagles. Beating up on the bottom feeders of the NFC West as they did the last two weeks of the season was to be expected not celebrated.

However the Cowboys aren’t exactly a juggernaut, and they have a head coach in Jason Garrett who is less than impressive during his time in Dallas. He’s also no match for McVay where offensive X’s and O’s are involved.

Simply put, over 16 games and 17 weeks the Rams have been more very good than not. McVay and his locker room must also know that losing a home playoff game as the number two seed in the NFC, AND after going 13-3 would be an absolute and colossal failure.

LA needs this game in the biggest of ways.

McVay needs this game to validate the wonder-coach label.

Goff needs this game to erase the questions of a suspect December.

Most importantly the Rams need to show the NFL world that 13-3, sweeping the NFC West, and that the new “Rams Way” means something beyond the regular season and feel good headlines.

Next. Rams: 4 reasons they will win the Super Bowl this season. dark

Bottom line, losing isn’t an option in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

Los Angeles Rams-25
Dallas Cowboys-19

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