Los Angeles Rams: The new kings of the NFC West?
With a win over the Oakland Raiders, the Los Angeles Rams were the only team to win in the NFC West. Are they the new leaders in the division?
Last season didn’t end exactly as the Los Angeles Rams hoped. Despite a stellar coaching job by Sean McVay, the team was knocked out in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. It did seem to motivate them as the 2018 Rams have a lot more hype around them.
Most notably, the Rams are the only team in the NFC West with a 1-0 record. Granted, it is only week 1 but that’s saying something. The Seattle Seahawks were a favorite for years before losing almost all of their good players. As for the 49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo is still their franchise guy, but was also pummeled by the Minnesota Vikings, so it leaves the Rams in a good place.
Leaving Week 1 behind for now, the Rams are easily the strongest overall team in the NFC West. Despite having a lot of young players, they’re showing their experience and playing at a high level. Most notably, the development of Jared Goff and his jump to the next level in his career. He’s gone up against some stellar defenses and has remained calm in the face of pressure.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
The main reason they’re the kings of the NFC West is the sheer amount of impact players they have. On defense, they have huge names like Aaron Donald, Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. Offensively, there’s Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks and Andrew Whitworth. It might sound simple, but having guys who go the extra mile and deal with adversity along with constantly improving is key.
A lot of credit has to go with the culture shift brought on McVay and his focus on we, not me. I’ve talked about this before, but it’s something a lot of teams need to adopt. Instead of placing blame or attributing a victory to one player, shift the focus to everyone. A team should be about everyone’s contributions.
In addition to the culture shift, the team has an air of confidence. The Rams paid a lot of their players this offseason and rightfully so. Sure, they’re playing for a paycheck but they’re also playing for a chance at the Super Bowl. With an improved defense and a stellar O-line, they’re on track for a playoff run.
Next. 2018 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 2. dark
Once again, Week 2 hasn’t even kicked off yet, but the Rams are setting the golden standard for the NFC West. For the past few years, it’s been the Seahawks and many predicted the 49ers taking the crown soon. For right now though, it looks like the Rams are the team to beat in the NFC West. Hopefully, the Rams can keep this momentum going and get locked in as one of the NFC playoff contenders.