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LOS ANGELES – First-year head coach Sean McVay and his Los Angeles Rams are sitting comfortably atop the NFC West division at 9-4 with a top-4 seed in the NFC all but locked down if they get a win over the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday. The NFC is the land of opportunity in the NFL; a place where teams can turn their seasons around and flip the fate of their franchises on their heads.
The rise of the Philadelphia Eagles to a two-loss team as of Week 15, the surprising emergence of Case Keenum as a star quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, and the bounce-backs of the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers freshen up the playoff picture in the NFC.
Meanwhile, the arguably mundane AFC still remains dominated by Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger, two familiar faces come January. Most other teams chasing the Wild Card spots currently sit around or below .500.
One could argue that the Jacksonville Jaguars have had a turnaround themselves, establishing a top-tier defense and gaining blowout wins against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.
The fact of the matter with Jacksonville is that the AFC South is still quite up for the taking. Tennessee are just one game behind them, and the Titans hold the tiebreaker between the two, so while Jacksonville have the tools to make it to the playoffs this year, it’s not yet guaranteed that they will win their division.
The subtle threat in the NFL comes in the form of a quick-paced offense and a solid defense to back it up in the Los Angeles Rams. They sit in the top 10 in all major five categories on offense, the highest being second in points per game with an average of 30.5, and they sit eighth highest in total offense with an average of 367.6 yards per game.
Jared Goff, coming off of a blunder of a rookie season, is now looked upon as one of the top young quarterbacks in the talented 2015 and 2016 draft classes. The #1 overall pick in 2016 has shown that he is no pretender with his offense scoring 30+ points in eight games so far this season.
The difference in play and the efficiency of the Rams can be supplemented by a career resurgence in Todd Gurley’s run game along with the additions of wide receivers Robert Woods, who is averaging 15.0 yards per reception, and Sammy Watkins, who is averaging 16.1. Both came from the Buffalo Bills in the offseason.
Goff has put up an impressive 22:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in addition racking up 3,383 passing yards through 13 games, which ranks ninth in the league above last year's MVP quarterback Matt Ryan, who plays for the Atlanta Falcons.
The Rams' defensive unit are no laughing matter either. While not putting up impressive numbers in stopping the run, they’re in the top 12 in average points and passing yards allowed per game. Aaron Donald is his usual self, posting a team-leading 8.0 sacks on the year, while emerging stars such as Mark Barron lead the team in tackles (86) and interceptions (3).
While teams in the NFC like the Vikings and Seahawks have one up on the Rams thanks to head-to-head victories, the Rams have emerged as the clear favorite to be the golden team in the "City of Angels".
Not only that, but they’ve clearly impressed with decisive victories over teams, including blowouts against the disappointing New York Giants (51-17) and Arizona Cardinals (33-0) and impressive victories against the surprising Saints (26-20) and Jaguars (27-17). They also shined in defeat against the division rival Seahawks, and their only decisive loss came against the currently #2-seeded Vikings.
Don’t sleep on the Los Angeles Rams. They pack a one-two punch in Goff’s arm and Gurley’s efficient run game, and they can keep offenses off the field for long periods of time thanks to one of the league’s more impressive defenses. Look for them to close out the season strong, finishing off the year against the San Francisco 49ers, the Titans, and the Seahawks, who will be their real challenge in Week 15.
The Rams are fighting for more than just redemption of a disappointing homecoming in Los Angeles. They’re fighting to be one of the best teams in the NFC and the entire league.
