Los Angeles Rams: New City, New Hope?
By David Mamola
For the first time since 1994, there’s football in the city of Los Angeles. Will the Los Angeles Rams make the city proud, or will they make residents wish the team was still in St. Louis? Our fan confidence test can help you decide!
The St. Louis Rams finished the 2015 season with a 7-9 record, yet massive changes followed in the offseason. First, the team returned to Los Angeles, the city the team called home from 1946 to 1994. Next, the team mortgaged their future by giving a king’s ransom to the Tennessee Titans to pick quarterback Jared Goff (from California) with the first overall pick in the draft.
There’s definitely a new look to the Rams in 2016, but will all these changes help the team end their playoff drought that extends all the way back to 2004? Our fan confidence test can help you decide!
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Simply choose one answer per question, record the points associated with the answer, and at the end of the test, add up all of your points to see your confidence level in the team!
Good luck, and have fun!
- How many yards will quarterback Jared Goff throw for in the 2016 season?
- More than 5,000 yards; he’ll be a rookie sensation (10 points)
- 4,000-5,000 yards (7 points)
- 3,000-4,000 yards (4 points)
- Less than 3,000 yards; the Rams should have picked Carson Wentz (1 point)
- Wide receiver Tavon Austin will:
- Become a Pro Bowler and score more than 10 total TDs (10 points)
- Show flashes and lead the team in receptions (7 points)
- Struggle to adjust to Goff and won’t make much of an impact in 2016 (4 points)
- Take a big step back and could even lose playing time (1 point)
- Running back Todd Gurley:
- Is the best back in the league; he’ll eclipse 1,500 rushing yards easily (10 points)
- Will average more than 4.0 yards per carry and score double-digit TDs (7 points)
- Will regress a little, but should still be the focal point of the offense (4 points)
- Will be banged-up all year and won’t play in more than 10 games (1 point)
- The Rams’ offensive line is:
- One of the best in football; 2 or more players will make the Pro Bowl (10 points)
- Above average; it should be a strength this year (7 points)
- Average; it’ll get the job done, but it won’t be dominant (4 points)
- A complete mess; they’ll get Goff killed back there! (1 point)
- Pass rusher Robert Quinn:
- Will bounce-back and make the Pro Bowl (10 points)
- Will eclipse his 2015 sack total (5.5) and be a force all year long (7 points)
- Isn’t a dominant player, but he should have a solid year in 2016 (4 points)
- Is past his prime; it’s time to start looking for his replacement (1 point)
- Linebacker Alec Ogletree:
- Is a budding superstar; he’ll be the face of the defense for the next decade (10 points)
- Is a solid starter and should make others around him better (7 points)
- Is a nice player, but he isn’t a difference-maker (4 points)
- Will struggle to adapt to middle linebacker and will mightily regress (1 point)
- Defensive back Trumaine Johnson:
- Will become a true shut-down corner and be feared across the league (10 points)
- Isn’t great, but he should again be a solid starter (7 points)
- Won’t be as great in 2016 because there’s no Janoris Jenkins across from him (4 points)
- Will fail to produce under the franchise tag and could be out the door next year (1 point)
- Kicker Greg Zuerlein will miss how many field goals in the upcoming season?
- 0-2; he’s one of the best kickers in the league (10 points)
- 3-5 (7 points)
- 6-8 (4 points)
- 9 or more; “Legatron” is no more (1 point)
- The Rams will win games at home next year:
- 7-8 (10 points)
- 5-6 (7 points)
- 3-4 (4 points)
- 2 or less; should they move back to St. Louis? (1 point)
- Head coach Jeff Fisher:
- Is the right man for the job; he’s still an elite NFL coach (10 points)
- Isn’t the best coach in the league, but he’ll get the job done (7 points)
- Is on the “hot seat” and could be fired by year’s end (4 points)
- Should have been fired in the offseason (1 point)
must read: Complete LA Rams Draft Analysis
Key:
- 100 points: Greatest team of all-time!
- 90-99 points: Super Bowl, here we come!
- 70-89 points: Playoff-bound!
- 55-69 points: 8-8 record at best
- Less than 55 points: Is it 2017 yet?