Rams fairytale finish continues as Rams beat time zones, temps, and the Jets

If you had to write the script for the LA Rams season, how would you write it? Would you write a season that opens with blazing success, and then as losses mount, simply coast into the NFL Playoffs? Or would you rather the team face adversity early in the season, take its lumps, and finish strong to enter the postseason at its peak?

Well, regardless of how you may have chosen to write the team's script for the 2023 and 2024 NFL seasons, the team has opted to take its lumps early, and finish strong. That certainly helped the 3-6 Rams finish with a record of 10-7 in 2023. And it appears to be pushing the team into the postseason this year, despite opening the year with a record of 1-4. Now all the way to 9-6, the Rams have a solid opportunity to win the NFC West Division, claim either the third or fourth seed in the NFC, and host a playoff game.

That's awfully impressive. But perhaps even more impressive is the team's Week 16 win. How so? Let me break it down for you.

Mother Nature and time zones always spell trouble

The LA Rams call sunny Southern California home. Even now, on the darkest days of the year (thanks to the Winter Solstice), Los Angeles, California boasts 60s and 70s as daytime highs, and there is no chance of the white stuff falling. But that is not the case for much of the nation. In Rutherford, New Jersey, the Rams took on the New York Jets with gametime temperatures that would rise no higher than 20 degrees Fahrenheit. That bitter cold changes the way the football acts and the Rams' young roster experienced that for the first time in their professional football careers.

But there is also the phenomenon of time zones. The Rams played an early game on the East Coast, which is the equivalent of playing a football game at 10:00 am on the West Coast. Time zones can play havoc on a professional athlete's circadian rhythm. Week 16 posed huge obstacles to the Rams roster with multiple non-football issues. And I am pleased to say that the team passed with flying colors.

The New York Jets are incredibly talented despite their record

Much like the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Jets (4-11) were projected to be in the conversation for Super Bowl contention this season. While the logic strains credibility now, the presumption of Jets contention was built upon a team that finished 7-10 in 2023, the return of venerable QB Aaron Rodgers in 2024, and the expectation that the offensive woes from the Jets in 2023 would be a thing of the past this season.

On paper, the Jets roster is loaded with talent. This is a team that boasts Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, talented Breece Hall at running back, A talented trio at wide receiver in Allen Lazzard, Devonte Adams, and Garrett Wilson. And a defense that boasts DB Sauce Gardner, DB Jalen Mills, DE Will McDonald IV, DT Quinnen Williams, DT Javon Kinlaw, and DE Haason Reddick.

If you stack up player for player, the Jets arguably have the more talented roster. But there is no quit in the Rams in 2024. Perhaps that proved to be the difference maker in the end.

The Rams needed the win, while the Jets were playing spoiler

In any athletic competition, there is a factor of playing loose versus playing tight. Playing tight describes the nervous energy that athletes feel under pressure. Adrenalin courses through the blood system, not only super-charging muscles and reflexes but also giving the athlete heightened processing power in the brain. That leads to athletes over-thinking what they need to do on any given play, resulting in simple mistakes. You can equate playing tight with the tasks required to perform a job or rushing through a recipe.

On the other hand, playing loose is the optimal way for a professional athlete to perform. When an athlete is playing loose, he is having fun, letting his body perform athletic feats naturally and without the aid of too many conflicting thoughts. It's an instinctive way of performing, much like the way long distance jogging can allow the runner to get lost in thought in the middle of a multi-mile run.

The pressure was on the Rams players, which meant that the Jets were playing under little to no pressure. Since the Jets had nothing to lose, they had the distinct advantage throughout the game of playing instinctively.

The Rams faced a trap game in Week 16, and still managed to emerge victorious. While the win does not guarantee a playoff appearance for the team, the odds have demonstrably improved as a result. The Rams are not just improving in major ways, but this team is getting better in the little ways that can mean the difference between winning and losing in the NFL Playoffs.

As always, thanks for reading.

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