After painstaking analystist this is the new and improved predictions for the NFC WEST.
St. Louis Rams (Last Year: 8-8)
Veteran Additions: WR Drew Bennett, TE Randy McMichael, DE James Hall, MLB Chris Draft, CB Lenny Walls, CB Mike Rumph, S Todd Johnson, KR Dante Hall. Draft Picks: FB Brian Leonard, WR Derek Stanley, OT Ken Shackleford, C Dustin Fry, DE Adam Carriker, DE Clifton Ryan, DT Keith Jackson, CB Jonathan Wade. Major Subtractions: RB Stephen Davis, RB Tony Fisher, FB Paul Smith (DEN), WR Kevin Curtis (PHI), WR Shaun McDonald (DET), G Adam Timmerman, C Larry Turner, DE Brandon Green (SEA), DT Jimmy Kennedy (DEN), DT Jason Fisk, OLB Dexter Coakley, MLB Isaiah Kacyvenski, LB Jamel Brooks, CB Travis Fisher (DET), CB Jerametrius Butler (WAS), S Dwaine Carpenter, P Matt Turk, KR Willie Ponder.
Offense This Year: When Scott Linehan took over the head-coaching job in St. Louis and the Rams failed to score more than 20 points in each of their first three games of the 2006 season, I was concerned that the "Greatest Show on Turf" that we've all loved to watch over the past half decade had disappeared and never would be seen again. Well, I was relieved to notice that St. Louis was able to score 24.6 points per game the rest of the campaign - which was only .4 less than last year's average when Marc Bulger was in the lineup.
Speaking of Bulger, I was shocked to see that he started all 16 games in a season for the first time in his career. That's a pretty impressive feat, considering he was sacked 49 times. If Bulger's healthy, he's one of the best and most underrated quarterbacks in the NFL. What he, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce have done over the years is amazing, especially when you take into account how atrocious the offensive line has been.
I already mentioned Bulger's 2006 sack total. Rams quarterbacks have been taken down 46 times in 2005; 50 times in 2004; 43 times in 2003; and 46 times in 2002. I thought Linehan would decrease that total, though to be fair, it should be noted that left tackle Orlando Pace missed eight games. The right side of the front looks better, as guard Richie Incognito and tackle Alex Barron started every single contest last season. However, left guard Mark Setterstrom, taken in the seventh round of the 2006 Draft, and 37-year-old center Andy McCollum will both be taking care of buisness.
McCollum isn't the only one whose age Rams fans need to be concerned about. Bruce turns 35 in November, which hurts because receivers Kevin Curtis and Shaun McDonald defected for other teams via the free-agent market. Drew Bennett was signed, and will be a effective a replacement. Newly acquired tight end Randy McMichael should fit well into the offense, but the man who makes the entire unit work is running back Steven Jackson. Jackson, free of Mike Martz's pass-happy scoring attack, rumbled for 1,528 rushing yards, 806 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns, establishing himself as one of the most potent weapons in the NFL. Jackson could be in for better numbers if Pace stays healthy.
I don't see the Rams going 14-2 this year, unless they win a game by that score. I can see them finishing anywhere between 7-9 and 9-7. I can see them finishing ahead of Seattle but behind both SF and ARI. Standings: 1) SF 11-5; 2) ARI 8-8; 3) Tie STL & SEA both 7-9. And NO, I'm not a Niners fan. Niners had probably the second best off season (behind NE).
If the Seahawks go 8-8, I'll have to kick my own ####. I think they'll win the division. Why is everyone so down on the Hawks this year? Probably because they have no idea what they're talking about. 1. Seattle 2. San Francisco 3. St. Louis 4. Arizona. That's the way I see it going down.
the winner of this division will go 9-7 and make the playoffs. Everyone else will go 8-8 and miss the W.C. I want to see the Cards get it done but it will most likely be Seahawks or Rams.
Sorry PF, Alexander is just one of those guys that I like to root against. I just don't like the guy. Ehh, they will probably take it, I just don't want to admit it.
PF, that can be arranged *vbg*. I have nothing against the Seahawks; the reason I'm down on the Hawks is they did VERY LITTLE to improve that team over the offseason and the draft, compared to San Fran and Arizona. Plus, Shaun Alexander's foot issues are cropping up again. Who knows if Alexander will withstand a full season? Plus, he's on the downside of 30, which is ancient for a RB. At that age, his effectiveness as a starter diminishes GREATLY.
Who do the Hawks have as a capable backup to Alexander that's ready to step in and start if necessary? Maurice Morris? He's basically a third-down back. They need a RB that can pound it between the tackles that has fresh legs.
Plus, their receiving corps, aside from Deion Branch, is getting up in years. Marcus Pollard's best days are behind him, but he's still an upgrade over Jerramy Stephens.
The Rams play no elite teams this year.They play a few teams with a great defense but no teams match up to the Rams offense.Rams win the division this year & the confrence.
The only possible losses I can see this year is against Baltimore and Cincy I think the Rams will win every game against the NFC this year barring injury.
As far as Seattle going 8-8 that's not a real strech they went 9-7 last year and had two lucky wins againt the Rams thanks to that sick #### kicker of yours.
Last edited by TOMBBRADYISAHOMO on June 23rd at 9:16 AM.
that looks like one of the toughest schedules in the league.
first off the ravens, Saints, and Cowboys are better than the Rams (possible 3 losses)
They play Cincy at the end of the year not good. Cincy always gets off to a slow start and picks it up at the end for a playoff run. (4 losses)
Then you have Seattle and the 49ers twice each! They will lose at least 2 of those games. Those team are so evenly matched.
Then they play the Falcons and Vick (where anything can happen), the up and coming Cards twice, Tampa Bay with Jeff Garcia, and cleveland and Pitt who will upset some teams this year.
This is the furthest thing from an easy schedule. Like I said no one in this division is better than 9-7 and by looking at the schedule I doubt it will be the Rams.
I think looking at the schedule is a very inaccurate way to predict a teams record. Nobody knows who's going to play well one week at a time, much less trying to figure it out 4-6 months before it actually happens and soon as the season starts half of the easy teams become tough teams and vice versa.
Did the Rams make enough changes to improve on an 8-8 record? Maybe 9 or 10 wins, but not enough to become 14-2. They had a lights out offense and the 28th ranked defense last year and it got them to 8-8. They still have basically the same offense and defense.
Also, the NFC will be one big cluster****, with no difference between the #1 team and the #10 team.
Last edited by SmokeFather on June 23rd at 11:30 AM.
It's more than just looking at the schedule.It's looking to see what all the teams have done in free agency and the draft.And with 3 months to go now is a good time for speculating.The Rams offense sputterd at first with new head coach Scott Linehan,but now with new personell they brought in and a better understanding of the system I think this unit will be better offensively than it was in its prime with Warner and Faulk.
I think this years Rams offense will be more explosive than the Saints were last year.The defense as anyone who watches football knows will be its liability.I think they will be better than last year,but eveyone will score on the Rams.Their not going to shut anybody down but all the Rams need is a competitive defense to win games not a great one.
texasbagger, I saw that Rams schedule and I see AT LEAST 10 losses there. To say that their schedule is brutal is an UNDERSTATEMENT. I may have to revise my 7-9 prediction to 5-11 or maybe even worse. I see them 1-3 against the AFC North, 0-4 against the NFC South, 2-4 in division, and 1-1 against common opponents in the NFC. If you don't have a defense that can stop the run such as the Rams, it's going to make for a LONG season. Plus, both the 49ers and Cardinals have made improvements.
The division winner(Seattle) will have no more then 9 wins and be the #3 seed. The other teams will miss the playoffs. NFC teams this year will have 11 wins at most, probaly the #1 seed Saints . I think #2 seed Dallas will win 10 and #4 seed Chicago 9. The wild cards will be Carolina and Philly. The Rams are being overvalued, they won't be that good. The offense will be one of the best, but the defense has holes, too many to make them a playoff team.
the rams will smoke everybody next year. you cant double team holt, that leaves a safety less to help on the run. or another (deadly) wide reciever open, isaac, bennett, or randy mcmicheal.if everybody is covered, jackson swings out for a pass and goes 60 yards lowers his pads and puts WHOEVER on the injured reserve. chris draft rotatin for witherspoon and chillar. tinoisamoa is tough played with a dislocated shoulder and broken arm half the season. still was efficient. orlando pace and andy mccollum is back to give bulger more time to pick EVERYBODY apart. can send carriker to the end spot, and he is a monster at 6'6 always being compared to richard seymour. the potential is there to be great. witherspoon is great. little is the most underated in the league. john 464 is about five beers shy of a six pack. but what do you expect from an imbred? gotta give the #### a break...seriously.
We will go anywhere from 10-6 to 15-1, depending on how our defense plays. and thats a humble prediction. the schedule is really tough, but the rams are that good. THE GREATEST SHOW ON TURF......a qb, rb, wr all top three............bulger third best (brady, manning, bulger) jackson 2nd best (l.t., jackson) holt the best wideout in the league. and pace is hands down the best left tackle.
Last edited by 24LA7holt81jackson39 on June 24th at 5:06 AM.
in no way shape or form the calfgirls better than the rams.....wtf? who is this guy? the cowboys??? the saints better? no, they could beat us, but I highly doubt it. dallas has a better chance of beating us. now the ravens, I like the ravens. dallas isnt better, no way. they are midiocre. they play in a weak division. the eagles will be better, of course. dallas is wack, the giants are wack. redskins might turn it around this year. the rams will be top seed, bears second. panthers, tampa, 49ers, eagles wildcards. and you will see a rematch of the RAMS vs PATRIOTS but this time the rams wont be robbed in the super bowl, like the seahawks were against the steelers.
Well, Im sorry the calfgirls, from grey state of texas signed an overpayed drama queen wide reciever in owens (who had the moss'd dropp'd passes in the league) and has tony #### to throw his balls at him. the dallas defense is pretty good though...all rb's from dallas are garbage....and you guys passed on steven jackson hahaha. Steven jackson wants to show you why you shouldnt have passed on him as well.so dallas and st louis will be a great matchup.
The Rams winning 14 games shows what kind of homer you are. Take off your rose #### glasses and see clearly. They won't even win the divison or make the playoffs. This is coming from an unbiased observer. Keep it real ####.
It just goes to show that you cannot handle the truth about your Rams, ####. I'm a Panthers fan but do you see me predict the Panthers go 14-2 and a Super Bowl appearance? NO. Reason: because the Saints are a BETTER team than the Panthers at this point in time. Another reason: I live in reality, unlike Ram myopians. The Panthers have a FAR better defense than the Rams (remember that 15-0 ####-slapping we gave you guys last year?). Your defense has more holes in it than Swiss cheese and stinks worse than Limburger cheese on a hot summer day. I CANNOT wait for Week 1 when the Panthers ####-slap the Rams all over the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams have been the Panthers' #### since that 2OT win in 2004 that led to the Panthers' appearance in Super Bowl 38.
There's a reason the Chiefs traded Dante Hall: he's getting OLD. Just like the Rams' receivers are getting OLD. You lost both Kevin Curtis and Shawn McDonald, two quality backups. And Steven Jackson isn't going to gain yards sitting on the bench when he's watching that Rams defense get carved up week in and week out.
24LA, at least you got ONE thing right: I'm a #### and PROUD of it!! And Steven Jackson will NOT gain 2,500 yards this year. He MIGHT gain 1,500 if he's on the field long enough and not watching his defense getting carved up like holiday turkey.
Im hoping, its not nessecary unlikely. But no matter what you gotta stand behind your team. thats a fan. lets being realistic, rams have a better chance than 14 teams in the nfc to make it to the big game. I would only put saints and bears in front of them.the bears wont be the same, so that leaves one. But, their have been many changes in the whole nfl, some teams are going to be better than last year. four teams in my division are going to be better, and considering our tough schedule....its going to be very difficult, but you have to be optimistic. Im a real fan, through the sorriest seasons, and the two super bowl seasons, I remained a rams fan. I dont jump on no band wagons at all, there are teams I like, only because they play real good. most teams I like are teams with a good defense, the only other team I like right now is baltimore. I love their defense. I stick with my team no matter what, if you want to hate on it then do it. Just lets me know I got to you. haha Im laughin all the way to the bank with this one...
Last edited by 24LA7holt81jackson39 on July 1st at 2:03 AM.
I can handle the truth. until the truth lands at the end of the season, you guys dont know #### Thats as real as it gets. The truth is, we are just going to have to wait and see arent we needle ####? and as far as the panthers, in my eyes, the panthers and seattle are new rivals to the rams. We had one of the best playoff games ever. I think it was triple over time, or double over time two or three years ago. there was about five missed field goals, it was a crazy game. panthers beat us fair in square. I had a sour taste in my mouth after that game, but you guys made it to the superbowl and gave the patriots a valiant effort. so I wasnt completely dissapointed, and this year you guys shut us out, so Im not too happy with the panthers, although they are a good team in my eyes. but seriously, #### the cowboys, and thats it.
Last edited by 24LA7holt81jackson39 on July 1st at 2:28 AM.
john 464, youre just a little ####, your #### so small you probably #### on your balls punk. nothing you have ever said was worth the time Ive spent reading it. Ive been through a couple of blogs and youre always hating on the greatest show on turf, every single time. so your not saying what your saying because you believe it, youre just straight out hating, thats all there is to it. Romo isnt as good to be in the pro bowl, the only reason he was in the pro bowl was because he is on the cowboys. thats all there is to that, same thing with roy williams, he's a highlight reel player, he makes big hits, but hurts his team in pass coverage, and hes a perennial pro bowler because he plays on the cowboys....these are all reasons to not like the cowboys....they are over rated. so what I say might be a little on the rams side, because Im optimistic, either way there is much truth in my statements. Hate all you want, get yourself a steven jackson jersey, if they are sold out by the time you jump on this band wagon, get a carriker, little, bulger or torry holt jersey....#### rookies
you guys are gonna have to get at me harder than that. I wish you were at least half the man your #### is. but until you spit out the ####, clean out your eyes, that have been used as landing strips for horse nut. shave your ####, get that #### tooken care of, stop being a volunteer at the mexicali donkey shows.....you'll never get at me, #### rookies
Last edited by 24LA7holt81jackson39 on July 1st at 2:17 AM.
john get your facts str8, the defense didnt put us on the field that long last year he still managed to get 2,300 yards. he rushed 1500. you dont think hes gonna get 1500, thats something an imbred would say. just wanted to exploit your stupidity..
Why do the rams fans start blogs and when someone disagrees get all agressive? just deal wiht the fact that your team ####. Tombradyhomo, like i told your buddy 24LA7holt81jackson39 you must know something the rest of us dont know about brady (maybe its his #### is in your mouth?).
haha here comes captain save a ####, saving his ####es....why do we got ####es saving ####es...you guys are all a bunch of ####es....lol I already killed wtf, in a blog earlier. Brady isnt my buddy, I dont know him. He is a rams fan, and that alone makes him a whole lot better than any of you little princesses.... I dont get it, did your fathers not give any of you little girls dolls to play with? you girls were tomboys werent you? thats why he didnt like the "tom brady" diss on that guys name.......hmmm makes sense. rams fan get crazy huh? call it what you wanna call it, but I call it how I see it.
Last edited by 24LA7holt81jackson39 on July 1st at 9:57 PM.
its good to see you are enthusiastic about your teams chances. but i know you cant possibly think that 14-2 is possible. playoffs for your rams maybe since your division is the weakest in the nfl. all i have to say is good luck and we will settle this september 30.
