NFL Playoff Picture: Week 4 Edition
By Martin Bater
NFC Wild Cards:
- St. Louis Rams (2-2)
Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Can you figure thisteam out? Can anyone? I mean, they must be the most exasperating team to root for.
Let’s recap what they have done so far this season: They start out defeating the Seahawks in overtime, then they lose against the Washington Redskins and lay an egg at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 12-6 loss at home.
However, talk about having a short memory. They bounce back last Sunday and win against the previously undefeated Arizona Cardinals to get back to .500.
By the way. rookie running back Todd Gurley could be the real deal. He has Adrian Peterson kind of power.
The Rams haven’t faced a team with a losing record yet, and their reward is to visit Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers this Sunday. Good luck with that.
- Atlanta Falcons (4-0)
Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
That was a beatdown. The Falcons were like Georgia Tech, the college team that plays down the street from them in Downtown Atlanta, and the Houston Texans were like Texas State as the scoreboard reflected a 42-0 score in favor of Dan Quinn’s squad with 2:56 to go in the THIRD quarter.
It is amazing what a change in mentality can do for a team, so a lot of credit must go to Dan Quinn and his coaching staff for the work they have done so far.
At this time last year, the Falcons were 2-2 and starting a five-game losing streak that included innovative new ways to lose week after week. This time, they are undefeated and favored to win against the Washington Redskins next Sunday.
That will be their last date with an NFC East team, a division that they have already gone 3-0 against while averaging 29.6 points per game.
That will come to an end next week, but their zero in the loss column might just last for a good while longer.
Next: NFC Division Winners