[Elvis]

McVay's two worst years were following Super Bowl appearances. I look forward to seeing if it happens a 3rd time.

The 2019 team won 9 games which would've put them in the playoffs under the current rules, so they weren't far off. 2022 was injury decimated but none of this tells us what will happen next. We can only wait and see.

If this year's team is bad and the talking point is, "we knew this was going to happen because they're building for 2024 and beyond" i'm not gonna like it but i'll probably, grudgingly, go along.

Assuming they're reasonably healthy, i expect them to be a playoff team this year...

[PARAM]

McVay's two worst years were following Super Bowl appearances. I look forward to seeing if it happens a 3rd time.

The 2019 team won 9 games which would've put them in the playoffs under the current rules, so they weren't far off. 2022 was injury decimated but none of this tells us what will happen next. We can only wait and see.

If this year's team is bad and the talking point is, "we knew this was going to happen because they're building for 2024 and beyond" i'm not gonna like it but i'll probably, grudgingly, go along.

Assuming they're reasonably healthy, i expect them to be a playoff team this year...

Couldn't agree more. Anybody who's played sports, been associated with sports or even watched sports for a considerable length of time would know, McVay is playing for the Superbowl. Tank talk and such are for the talking heads and armchair GMs. 53 guys (and more) will be putting their bodies on the line and we need look no further than the Damar Hamlin event last year to know, it's no joke. You don't tank when guys can lose the use of their limbs tanking for you. So that's BS.

Now do I see us getting to the Superbowl? Man, that would take great team health, a fantastic draft, some second and third year guys stepping up and good weather. But like you and others have said, the playoffs? Sure that isn't a long shot. We don't have to be the best team in the NFC, or the West. Just better than 9 other teams.

[Lancer]

I have a slightly different interpretation of the statistics mentioned. If every NFC team has been able to reach the playoffs at least twice in the last ten years, this just says parity exists & it's achievable.

During the time span you mentioned 2009-2021, the Green Bay Packers participated in the playoffs 11 times, and won the Superbowl once.

I would love the Rams with this coaching staff to accomplish that level of consistent, high level play; hopefully they will be able too.

Assessing a good, well managed team through a longer view I feel, isn't indicative that a fan is selling management short based on unreasonable expectations. If anything, it implicitly recognizes that team's early potential when a new staff comes in and demonstrates success, to become, great.

That's complimentary!

It is fair to assess them based on their peers.

Why assess w/ the 50% that struggles?

[actionjack]

So last year was already a lost year. We werent competitive for most of the season.
Now IMO it most to do with the unusual level of injuries to the o-line which cascaded throughout the rest of the team. The Rams 5-12 record was about 70% injuries and about 30% lack of hunger.

Now personally, as the team stands now, I dont see how this team makes the playoffs with what has occurred to the defense. You can't lose two pro bowl players, a nice DE, a couple nice interior players and depth with it having an impact. The Rams were supposed to lean into the offense, but so far zero improvement on that side of the ball. If this team says it wants to score 30+ (barely managed 14 points last season) again to compete, well it better add a weapon that can be problem now.

So I am not sure what compete for the playoffs means? Does it mean we were within a game of not making it, if we dont make it? It appears now the Rams will not be adding a playmaker via FA, so that mostly leaves the draft. Do the Rams select more offensive players when the defense is sorely lacking along the DL, LB and secondary?

So my expectation with McVay and Stafford.... we should compete for playoffs and more every season. Last year was already non competitive and unfortunately I see more of the same this year. I see 5-7 wins this season, finish in the bottom 10 in the league.

[Hacksaw]

A lot of great points made by all. My simple answer, I expect a team I follow to do everything they can to win every game, especially the last one.

Things like injuries happen. Failing to pick the right players happens. Unfortunate but acceptable.
Failing to plan ahead and not putting yourself in a position to stay consistently good is not acceptable. That appears to be where this team is at this year.
A lot of that has to do with the fact that they went all in for a ring.

Lancer pointed out that the Packers were able to maintain their level for a dozen years. They won a Lombardi too. Outlier? Possible.
But this also speaks to the possibility that there was a flaw in the Rams Super Bowl building process. I expect them to learn from that so the team can get back to their regularly scheduled team building process...

[PARAM]

I have a slightly different interpretation of the statistics mentioned. If every NFC team has been able to reach the playoffs at least twice in the last ten years, this just says parity exists & it's achievable.

During the time span you mentioned 2009-2021, the Green Bay Packers participated in the playoffs 11 times, and won the Superbowl once.

I would love the Rams with this coaching staff to accomplish that level of consistent, high level play; hopefully they will be able too.

Assessing a good, well managed team through a longer view I feel, isn't indicative that a fan is selling management short based on unreasonable expectations. If anything, it implicitly recognizes that team's early potential when a new staff comes in and demonstrates success, to become, great.

That's complimentary!

It is fair to assess them based on their peers.

Why assess w/ the 50% that struggles?

It's an uneven comparison anyway you look at it since McVay has only been here 6 years. Of the 4 teams who've been to the postseason more than McVay, only Seattle (8 times in 10 years) has had the same head coach for those 10 years and they haven't made it more than the Rams during McVay's tenure. Green Bay's LaFleur has been there 4 years. Philly's Siriani has been there 2 years. Dallas' McCarthy has been there 2 years. And I might add, looking at Philly over the last 6 years, they've made the playoffs 5 times, 3 times with a 9-7 record or worse. Dallas and Green Bay have only made the playoffs 3 times the last 6 years. Less than McVay.

So last year was already a lost year. We werent competitive for most of the season.

Now IMO it most to do with the unusual level of injuries to the o-line which cascaded throughout the rest of the team. The Rams 5-12 record was about 70% injuries and about 30% lack of hunger.

Now personally, as the team stands now, I dont see how this team makes the playoffs with what has occurred to the defense. You can't lose two pro bowl players, a nice DE, a couple nice interior players and depth with it having an impact. The Rams were supposed to lean into the offense, but so far zero improvement on that side of the ball. If this team says it wants to score 30+ (barely managed 14 points last season) again to compete, well it better add a weapon that can be problem now.

So I am not sure what compete for the playoffs means? Does it mean we were within a game of not making it, if we dont make it? It appears now the Rams will not be adding a playmaker via FA, so that mostly leaves the draft. Do the Rams select more offensive players when the defense is sorely lacking along the DL, LB and secondary?

So my expectation with McVay and Stafford.... we should compete for playoffs and more every season. Last year was already non competitive and unfortunately I see more of the same this year. I see 5-7 wins this season, finish in the bottom 10 in the league.

We have competed for the playoffs every year under McVay except last year, which all might agree was because of the overwhelming number of injuries to the OL, then Stafford and WR corp. Hell we competed for the playoffs in 2019, when we had 3 OL go down.

They haven't added any offensive weapons in free agency (yet) is 100% accurate. Are we sure they have to? They can't score 28 PPG (which would be double 2022) with Stafford, Kupp, ARob, VJ, Akers, Williams, Higbee, Skowronek, Tutu, etc?

And we haven't seen the draft yet. Do they add a weapon or two who could help right away? RB? TE? Surely they will add to the defense.

A lot of great points made by all. My simple answer, I expect a team I follow to do everything they can to win every game, especially the last one.

Things like injuries happen. Failing to pick the right players happens. Unfortunate but acceptable.
Failing to plan ahead and not putting yourself in a position to stay consistently good is not acceptable. That appears to be where this team is at this year.
A lot of that has to do with the fact that they went all in for a ring.

Lancer pointed out that the Packers were able to maintain their level for a dozen years. They won a Lombardi too. Outlier? Possible.
But this also speaks to the possibility that there was a flaw in the Rams Super Bowl building process. I expect them to learn from that so the team can get back to their regularly scheduled team building process...

There is that point of view, they didn't prepare for this. I ask, does anybody think they didn't know this was going to happen in 2023? They knew what Ramsey's cap hit was going to be. Same as Floyd and Wagner. They knew Gaines, Scott, Rapp, A'Shawn and the rest were going to be UFA's. How do we know "they didn't plan"? The cap hits wouldn't have changed had we gone 12-5 last year, so we'd be in the same boat. Except fans might feel a little different....."we went 24-10 the last two years, so yeah it's time to take a step back and re-tune the roster". They could have traded Ramsey last year prior to the deadline but with his no trade and the way he forced the deal with Miami, he could have done the same thing last year. And I'm not sure it's even in their DNA to give up at the trade deadline.

Count me in the camp (with a low population) that they knew this was coming to a head.

[bremillard]

The Rams are tied for 6th(with the Seahags) best regular season winning percentage over the last 5 seasons.(49 wins .598) Not too shabby but with the changes made to this team that percentage will likely fall in season 6 of the tally. For the record the Chiefs have 64 wins during that time frame. Saints 54. Packers, Ravens, and Bills 53.

[actionjack]

A lot of great points made by all. My simple answer, I expect a team I follow to do everything they can to win every game, especially the last one.

Things like injuries happen. Failing to pick the right players happens. Unfortunate but acceptable.
Failing to plan ahead and not putting yourself in a position to stay consistently good is not acceptable. That appears to be where this team is at this year.
A lot of that has to do with the fact that they went all in for a ring.

Lancer pointed out that the Packers were able to maintain their level for a dozen years. They won a Lombardi too. Outlier? Possible.
But this also speaks to the possibility that there was a flaw in the Rams Super Bowl building process. I expect them to learn from that so the team can get back to their regularly scheduled team building process...

That is the question, did they not prepare? Or did injuries last year speed up the re-tool.
I feel like they understood at some point they would need to semi re-boot, the interesting part was choosing now while you still have Stafford. You would think you would try and ride it out as long as you can while you have Staff unless you feel you cant improve the team enough to support a Super Bowl run. I am guess that is what they felt, sacrifice one year in hopes of having 2-3 more after with Staff to try and win a chip.

[actionjack]

We have competed for the playoffs every year under McVay except last year, which all might agree was because of the overwhelming number of injuries to the OL, then Stafford and WR corp. Hell we competed for the playoffs in 2019, when we had 3 OL go down.

They haven't added any offensive weapons in free agency (yet) is 100% accurate. Are we sure they have to? They can't score 28 PPG (which would be double 2022) with Stafford, Kupp, ARob, VJ, Akers, Williams, Higbee, Skowronek, Tutu, etc?

And we haven't seen the draft yet. Do they add a weapon or two who could help right away? RB? TE? Surely they will add to the defense.

I think those guys will help if they can stay on the field and it sounds like we are banking on better offensive coaching as well. But I feel like to score 30+ we need an OBJ type player added to that mix..

Per Snead's pressor he mentioned choosing one side of the ball to invest in to improve (that they didnt have enough cap to choose both). Well they have clearly sacrificed the defense and special teams so i was expecting something offensively, but so far nil. Can they find a draft pick or cheap vet to elevate them? Maybe, guess I was expecting more on that side of the ball....

[Hacksaw]

That is the question, did they not prepare? Or did injuries last year speed up the re-tool.

I think they knew what they're doing but the injuries exposed the threadbaron roster they had behind the starters. This forced a change.

Since the team and the fans became desensitized last year maybe they think this is the best time to do it.

It can't get no worse.
John Lennon.