The Resurrection Of The Los Angeles Rams

The Resurrection Of The Los Angeles Rams

 

Over the course of the 2016 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams accumulated a grand total of four wins.

 

By this Sunday evening, it’s very possible that the Los Angeles Rams will already have accumulated four wins, matching all of last season’s total by week five of this year.

 

Oh what a difference an offseason makes.

 

It’s not the slightest bit inconceivable that the Rams will be 4-1 through week five. For as good as Seattle has been in recent years, and as dominant as they’ve been in the NFC West, the Seahawks are 0-3 when they’ve  played the Rams on the road. Their offensive line might be the worst in all of football, and while they have a bevy of bodies to run the ball with, the one guy who was the most effective at doing so — rookie running back Chris Carson — was just lost for a long period time do a nasty leg injury.

 

But this isn’t about Seattle; this is about the NFC West-leading Rams. You know, the team with the #1 scoring offense in the NFL, having put up point totals of 46, 41, and 35 points in their wins. Running back Todd Gurley has the second-most yards from scrimmage in the NFL this season, and came just a hair shy of putting up 100 yards rushing and receiving last weekend against the Dallas Cowboys.

 

And, of course, we’d be remiss not to talk about quarterback Jared Goff. The national media excoriated Goff as mercilessly and brutally for much of last season and this past offseason, essentially writing off his career and calling him a bust before his career even got started. And yet, heading into Week 5, Jared Goff has more touchdown passes than Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger, and Philip Rivers. He hasn’t thrown an interception in three of his four games this year. He looks rejuvenated, spry, and most importantly: comfortable.

 

In fact, nobody would’ve ever imagined the fact that the defense — commanded by Wade Phillips — would be the Rams main problem. That unit has been getting gashed by opposing running backs all season, giving them the third-worst rushing defense in the NFL right now. That’s very unlike a group led by Phillips, especially given how much talent this team has on defense overall.

 

It’s the irony of all ironies that the offense has been good enough to overcome the defense’s (very) slow start. We all knew Sean McVay was something of an offensive wunderkind, but nobody realistically imagined this. His play designs and play calls have been extremely impressive, fully utilizing all the weapons he’s accumulated there in really creative ways. There’s a clear method to his madness, and it’s really enthralling to watch.

 

In general, McVay has brought an energy that people can’t stop talking about, to an otherwise moribund franchise. People absolutely gush about the intelligence, work ethic, and attention to detail that McVay brings. Nobody has anything bad to say about him, publicly or privately. As long as he stays healthy, maybe by wearing a premium football mouth guard with strap, for the years to come, he would be a shining superstar.

 

And so far, the results of that are showing on the field. To train your kids with football games when they are young and energetic, buy youth mouth guard to protect them from any major injuries.