My gut feeling on the playoffs

[general counsel]

Here is my gut feeling

We have a 50-50 chance of beating seattle this week. IF we can beat them, we have a 50-50 chance of winning the division. If we dont win the division, we will get in as a wild card.

If we lose this weekend, we are going to battle for the wildcard. My gut tells me that it will come down to the last game of the season, at dallas on jan 1. If we win, we will get in. If we lose, we may well be going home.

Thoughts from the group?

Ramming speed to all

general counsel

[RamWraith]

I really think this is an important game this weekend. Almost a must win for this team. The NFC will be tight and the one thing we have going for us for a Wild Card is the North being so weak and the East beating each other up. However, the South scares me. A lot will be decided this weekend. WE need this, bottom line.

[Seehawkrun]

How do you see it as a 50-50 chance? even if the Rams win this weekend (which I beleive is more like 60-40 chance in favor of Seattle) they're still 1 game behind the Hawks in the Division. Seattle still has 2 games to play against SF and will also play Tenn, and GB. I think it's safe to say Seattle finishes at least 10-6, but probably 11-5 if they win this weekend. The Rams look like another .500 team to me this season.

Wildcard teams will be Atlanta and Washington, IMO.

[AvengerRam]

Originally Posted by Seehawkrun

How do you see it as a 50-50 chance? even if the Rams win this weekend (which I beleive is more like 60-40 chance in favor of Seattle) they're still 1 game behind the Hawks in the Division. Seattle still has 2 games to play against SF and will also play Tenn, and GB. I think it's safe to say Seattle finishes at least 10-6, but probably 11-5 if they win this weekend. The Rams look like another .500 team to me this season.

Wildcard teams will be Atlanta and Washington, IMO.

With that level of certainty, you should be heading to Vegas right now.

[txramsfan]

run, you are probably right. That win at STL was huge for the division. However, don't think the Tennessee game will be easy. They are tough at home.

Philadelphia on the road in December on MNF isn't going to be easy either. That still leaves you at 12-4 or 11-5 which is going to be tough for the Rams to equal. The Rams have to start by winning Sunday at Seattle which isn't a far fetched idea. Also, that Green Bay game could be a huge one. Think about it, it will probably be Farve's last game as a Packer. They will be sky high for that game. Seattle probably already locks in on a playoff berth so do the Seahawks go into that cold field with enough fire to win? I'm thinking you lose that game. So, IF the Rams, big IF, win Sunday and the Seahawks for the sake of argument lose to Tennessee, Philly, and GB....that's 10-6 also. I also know that in the time I spent typing this post I could have saved money on car insurance by switching to Geico. Everything is speculative but that's what makes it fun.

[Haterade]

Rams have a tough 2nd half, schedule. I think the NFC is a much much tougher Conference than it was last year. More teams are healthy, so I think it'll take 10-wins for any playoff spot.

Rams need to go 6-2 against @Seattle, Arizona, @Houston, Washington, @Minnesota, Philly, San Fran, and @Dallas.

[general counsel]

The seahawks are playing good ball and are a good team. However, you mr. seahawk fan are assuming among other things no critical injuires. If you lose hasselback for two games, as we did with bulger, what happens then. What happens if alexander gets hurt. What about walter jones. The rams have been DECIMATED injured wise, the seahawks has been hurt at the receiver spot, where they arent very good anyway. These kinds of lucky breaks have a way of evening out over the course of a season.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion as i am mine. I see the rams as a team going on a Major role over the second half of the season, healthy and with a schedule that while not easy, is more favorable than it looked at the start of the year. If the seahawks can make it through the year without a single bad loss, god bless them, they may well win the division on the basis of the rams losing in week one to sf. However, it is very rare for a team to make it a full season without at least one bust game and i dont see the seahawks being that dominant, even if completely healthy, that they wont lose one that they should win somewhere along the way. They got away with murder in the dallas game, which i give them credit for, but sometimes you lose one going the other way in a game like that later.

Should be a war this weekend, that is for sure.

Ramming speed to all

general counsel

[Nick]

We're 4-4 right now. Honestly, for the second half of the schedule, this is what I see.

Win vs Seahawks
Win vs Cards
Win @ Texans
Loss vs Redskins
Win @ Vikings
Loss vs Eagles
Win vs *****
Win vs Cowboys

So that's 10-6, but it could be 8-8 if the Rams lose in Seattle and in Dallas, which are just as likely as wins because both are very good teams. And I think we need 10-6 if we want to contend for a playoff spot.

Do we get there? My gut tells me no, because I think we've just had too much to try and overcome this season. Of course, I say that before the Seattle game. If the Rams can go up to Seattle and come home with a win, then I'm not sure there's anything they can't accomplish.

[Haterade]

Originally Posted by general counsel

The seahawks are playing good ball and are a good team. However, you mr. seahawk fan are assuming among other things no critical injuires. If you lose hasselback for two games, as we did with bulger, what happens then. What happens if alexander gets hurt. What about walter jones. The rams have been DECIMATED injured wise, the seahawks has been hurt at the receiver spot, where they arent very good anyway. These kinds of lucky breaks have a way of evening out over the course of a season.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion as i am mine. I see the rams as a team going on a Major role over the second half of the season, healthy and with a schedule that while not easy, is more favorable than it looked at the start of the year. If the seahawks can make it through the year without a single bad loss, god bless them, they may well win the division on the basis of the rams losing in week one to sf. However, it is very rare for a team to make it a full season without at least one bust game and i dont see the seahawks being that dominant, even if completely healthy, that they wont lose one that they should win somewhere along the way. They got away with murder in the dallas game, which i give them credit for, but sometimes you lose one going the other way in a game like that later.

Should be a war this weekend, that is for sure.

And War we expect.

From that stand point of football-karma...they've already given and received. A 47-yard FG that bounced off the pole as times expires to loss in OT and a GW 50-yard FG that ends in regulation. Seems fair to me.

Seahawks have their fair share of injuries, Darrell Jackson is down for another 2-4 weeks. Bobby Engram has missed 3 games. They've lost their starting FS in Ken Hamlin. They lost their starting RT Floyd Womack. for the first 4 weeks and when he came back, he got hurt again. Andre Dyson has been nursing a sore hamstring for 3 weeks that has limited his playing time.

All the while, still leading the league in yards per game. As I recall, the Seahawks were pretty DECIMATED last year when they were playing PS guys in their starting line-up.

While the loss of Bruce and Holt are huge, it's not like you're playing Joe Jurivecious, DJ Hackett, Peter Warrick or Jerheme Urban...I'd much rather have Kurtis and McDonald.

[Seehawkrun]

Originally Posted by Haterade

Rams have a tough 2nd half, schedule. I think the NFC is a much much tougher Conference than it was last year. More teams are healthy, so I think it'll take 10-wins for any playoff spot.

Rams need to go 6-2 against @Seattle, Arizona, @Houston, Washington, @Minnesota, Philly, San Fran, and @Dallas.

I definitely agree that this is a much improved conference. Last few seasons it has been pretty much Philly's conference, now it seems that there's a lot of teams all competing for those playoff spots. The NFC Wildcard race this season should be very thrilling and down to the wire.

I'm not saying the Rams can't win this game @ Seattle. I know they can. And I'm not one to call any divisional game anything less than high priority, which is why I think both teams will come out firing. I only give Seattle the advantage based on home field and recent play when faced with big games.

Likewise STL has had a few key victories while missing some starters.

I think you're right. Realistically 10-6 is what a team should aim for to be in the playoffs, especially with such good wildcard contenders (ATL, CAR, All of the NFC East)

Can you beleive the Eagles are at the bottom of their division at 4-4? The last game of the season looks to be huge for STL. Very likely that both you guys and Dallas will be hungry and fighting for a wild card spot.

[Seehawkrun]

General Counsel. Did you see the Hawk-'Skins game? Beleive me, I've seen it go the other way in those types of games. Had the exact same situation in Dallas and Josh made the kick. Seems to me as if that's evened itself out nicely.

Also, Hawks have been pretty injured this season. Calling the recieveser not very good is just you not really knowing much about them. Jackson and Engram were the #3 and #4 receivers in the NFL in terms of receptions when they were both injured in the same game. Engram is back and DJack is still expected to miss another 2-3 weeks.

Big loss at Safety as well as Cornerback. It's not like Seattle has been the one team to escape injury here. Nobody does that in the NFL.

[Ferter]

Originally Posted by RamWraith

I really think this is an important game this weekend. Almost a must win for this team. The NFC will be tight and the one thing we have going for us for a Wild Card is the North being so weak and the East beating each other up. However, the South scares me. A lot will be decided this weekend. WE need this, bottom line.

I could not agree more.

[ramsfan1975]

i know im a optimist but i dont really think the remaining schedule for the rams is all that difficult... is see them going either 8-0, 7-1 or at worst 6-2.... granted it will be tough to win the division.. but i think if we get on a winning streak...get confidence.. we could finish the season very strong....

[Haterade]

Originally Posted by ramsfan1975

i know im a optimist but i dont really think the remaining schedule for the rams is all that difficult... is see them going either 8-0, 7-1 or at worst 6-2.... granted it will be tough to win the division.. but i think if we get on a winning streak...get confidence.. we could finish the season very strong....

Optimist indeed...

Looking at the Ram's schedule, for them to go 8-0 and to finish 12-4 would be a sight to see.

Right now, with a 2 game lead, Seattle only needs go .500 to get to 10-wins which I would argue is playoff bound.

Rams will need a lot of things to go their way and a lot that will revolve against a more consistant defense. Not to spout the cliche 'who have you guys played lately;' the Rams have beat two teams with less-than spectacular offenses. The Special Teams and Defense made some great plays to get quick points, but those are 2 plays that have accounted for 14 points...I'd like to see some more consistancy from their defense before I accept any ideas of them going 8-0 in the second half.

You guys have 0 chance of beating SEA in Seattle. Seattle rarely loses at home.