LA Rams Team Headlines: This Is The Way To 9 Wins For The Rams In 2016
By Sam McPherson
The Los Angeles Rams are a franchise in desperate need of a winning season. Not only is this the team's first year back in L.A., but the organization itself has also been down in the dumps a bit since making the playoffs five times in a six-year period from 1999-2004.
In fact, the Rams haven't finished an NFL season with an over-.500 record since 2003, and right now, L.A. is 3-4 with nine games left to play. Head Coach Jeff Fisher had five .500 seasons with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans during his 17 seasons with that team, and he's yet to match that in four-plus years with the Rams.
With top draft picks like quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley on the roster, the Rams have the talent to make it to .500 and beyond, but injuries have hurt the usually stout defense this year. The schedule going forward leaves little room for error in 2016 if Los Angeles wants to impress its new fan base in Southern California.
Must-Win Games
The Rams come out of their bye week with the following four games in a row, which qualify as must-win opportunities for them: Home against Carolina (1-5), on the road against the New York Jets (2-5), at home against Miami (3-4) and on the road against New Orleans (2-4).
The Panthers have struggled all season since losing in Week 1 on a last-second field goal miss, and injuries to star QB Cam Newton have hurt the team. The Jets and the Dolphins have been inconsistent at best, and the Saints have a terrible defense. These games all have to be wins for Los Angeles if the team wants to reach nine wins this season.
In Week 16, the Rams host the San Francisco 49ers, and that is also a must-win situation for L.A. The Week 1 loss to the 49ers looks very bad right now, and the Rams will need to avenge that defeat, for sure.
Tough Games to Win
On December 4, Los Angeles travels to New England, and that will be a tough win to come by against the Patriots. The following week, the Rams host the Atlanta Falcons, and that also is shaping up to be a tough game for L.A. to win under the current circumstances.
In Week 15, the Rams travel to Seattle, and while L.A. just beat the Seahawks at home in Week 2, that's probably not a victory the Rams can replicate on the road with the playoffs probably on the line for Seattle. In Week 17, Los Angeles closes the regular season with a home game against the Arizona Cardinals, a team the Rams beat in Week 4 this season on the road. The Cardinals should be a better team by the end of the season, so that looks like a tough outing, too.
Pathway to 9-7
The Rams need to win six of their last nine games to finish over .500 this season, and that means the five must-win games are just that: needed victories. The first four out of the bye are especially important, of course, because it could mean the necessary momentum required to actually snag an upset victory over one of the four tougher opponents on the last quarter of the schedule.
If Los Angeles can get its record to 7-4 when goes to take on the Patriots in New England, perhaps the Rams can sneak a win somewhere in that stretch noted above. At least one win in that group is going to be necessary, even if Los Angeles beats the other five "weaker" teams left on the schedule.
It could come down to that final game against the Cardinals at home, with the Rams sporting an 8-7 record and potential playoff berth on the line. Wouldn't that be something for the team's first year back in the City of Angels?
