LA Rams confidence challenged in two directions

The fine line between confident and overconfidence now tests the LA Rams and their goal to bring a third championship to Los Angeles

Suddenly, the pressure is on the LA Rams. But this is unlike any other pressure. This is pressure upon an NFL team that was ranked 31st  among NFL offensive lines, and 26th among NFL rushing offenses. The LA Rams are renovating their offense, restocking their defense, and all-out rebuilding their special teams this season. And the pressure is on the team now to win the NFL Super Bowl this year.

Now, this is the season that most pundits predicted the LA Rams to win between six and eight games. This is the season where the NFC West is arguably the toughest division in the NFL.  This is the year that the LA Rams are shackled by a lot of dead cap money, over $36 million.  Historically, NFL teams with that much money in dead salary cap funds struggle to break .500. Now, the LA Rams goal suddenly went way beyond winning more than half of their 2020 games.

And yet the LA Rams find themselves on the clock to win the NFL Super Bowl this year?

The company you keep

The Los Angeles Lakers have won their NBA Championship series against the Miami Heat. The Los Angeles Dodgers won their World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.  Now, all the eyes of the nation turn towards the Los Angeles Rams with the bar no longer set on finishing .500. Now, the Rams are no longer in control of their own fate. Now, fate has taken over the LA Rams goal for this year.

IT’s definitely something that the Rams are talking about. But is it something that the LA Rams SHOULD be talking about right now? No. Definitely not.

The LA Rams are preparing to travel across the country to take on the Miami Dolphins, a three-win team that dismantled the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco.

Maintain Focus

George Lucas is credited with saying ‘Always remember, your focus determines your reality’. Wise words indeed. The very fact that quarterback Jared Goff and head coach Sean McVay are fielding Super Bowl questions now, over a year removed from post-season play, is concerning. The reality is that the LA Rams have not earned the right to be in that discussion, yet.  The Rams are tied for second in the NFC West, so they are at best a Wild Card berth at this point. The Rams are not a defending NFC Champion, nor even a 2019 Playoff team, so they must prove to all that they can get to the playoffs.

I love the potential for this season. In fact, I’m on record predicting a massively successful season while the nation projected the Rams as the NFC West basement team.  I would relish the opportunity to rub faces in all those who took cheap shots at the Rams in the offseason. I’m quite certain that many who are associated with the LA Rams organization would enjoy that as well.  For now, that will have to wait. The LA Rams have a chance to get to their bye week at 6-2, or at 5-3.  For my part, I would very much like these Rams to be 6-2 at the bye week. The Rams know what needs to be done. Now, it’s a matter of remaining focused to do it.  Life comes at you fast, oftentimes without a mulligan to permit a do-over.  This is the Rams shot at making history. To do that, they need to focus on each day at-a-time, one game at a time.