BY REID LAYMANCE | Posted: Monday, October 4, 2010 11:40 am
THE WATERCOOLER: Are the Rams really the best team in the NFC West?
JIM THOMAS:
Not ready to say that. For starters, the Rams are going to have to start picking up a win or two on the road. And after so many losses from 2007 through 2009, I simply have to see more. OK, the Rams have won two in a row. But so did Jim Haslett in October of 2008. But there's no doubt this looks like a different Rams team than we've seen in recent years and the NFC West certainly looks like it's there for the taking.
BRYAN BURWELL:
The season is only four games old, so it's dangerous to make any lasting judgments on who is the best for the long term. But as we stand right now, the ***** are in turmoil, Arizona has no QB, the Seahawks offensive line is a mess and their pass defense is weak. So that leaves us with the Rams, whose defense keeps teams out of the end zone. They have a young QB who is wise beyond his experience, and suddenly they are tied for first in a division that might only take seven victories to win. So as we speak at this moment -- and it could surely change just as quickly -- yes, the Rams are the best team in the division.
JEFF GORDON:
They could become the division's best if they manage to get healthier. The Rams impressed everybody by winning back-to-back with so many players either sidelined or playing hurt. If this team can get Jackson up to full speed, regain its depth at tight end, safety and defensive tackle and build some momentum, a breakthrough is possible. As Sam Bradford matures and builds chemistry with his receivers, the passing game will become more dangerous -- assuming that the line holds up. The defense looks legit, despite all the casualties.
BILL COATS:
Right now, they probably are. The ***** were the division favorites, but they can't win a game. The Cardinals are in disarray, and the Seahawks are aging and just aren't very talented. There's no question that over the last two weeks, the Rams have played the best football in the division.
BERNIE MIKLASZ:
On one level it's ludicrous, beause we're talking about a franchise that just went through a stinking mess of a stretch, losing 44 of 50 games coming into the 2010 season. The losing has been chronic and extreme. The Rams haven't been able to win at home. They've gotten dominated -- bullied -- by NFC West rivals. And even after winning two in a row at home for the first time since 2006, and even after putting the hammer on Seattle, the Rams have much to prove. Can they win on the road? That's another big hurdle to overcome. And they'll get their chance to prove it soon; starting with a patch of schedule that begins Nov. 14, the Rams will play four of five on the road. But that's just one side. The other side is this: this division is really bad. The Rams could...
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