7 reasons to remain bullish on the LA Rams

Inevitable hiccup game

Let’s keep one foot on the ground for this season.  If you expected the Rams to win all 16 games this season, stop reading here. If you expected the Rams to win all their games after a close loss to the Buffalo Bills, stop reading here.  In fact, I feel comfortable believing that the Rams could lose one or two more games before the end of the season.

That’s not any form of disrespect. In fact, a 12-4 record will likely place the Rams in a strong position for a week one bye in the postseason. And there’s the rub. for teams that are considered the “best of the NFL”, few if any survive even half of an NFL season undefeated. Right now, only three NFL teams are undefeated. Curiously,  they have all played in just five contests so far.

Be realistic

The huge “disappointment” as a fan is seeing the team you support play below expectations.  Right now, the Rams are trying to regroup after a disappointing loss to their rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. And based on the immediate social media reactions, the Rams are winless, cannot score, and cannot stop other teams from scoring. That’s not the case.  The Rams can score. The Rams can play great defense. And the Rams will likely lose another game or two, even if they do earn a bye week to start the NFC Playoffs.

If the Rams can get to their midseason bye with just two losses, they are in excellent shape. That means the team must defeat the visiting Chicago Bears (a very good 5-1 team) and on the road against the Miami Dolphins (the 3-3 team that obliterated the 49ers in San Francisco). If the Rams can do that, then even a 4-4 second half of the season will keep the Rams at 10-6, and in the running for a playoff berth. To truly help the Rams cause, a win over the Bears will restore the Packers to first place in the NFC North, drop the Bears into the wild card ranks, and elevate the Rams over the Bears based on head to head competition.