Week 14 power rankings - Middling amid the muddled middle

by 3k on Dec 7, 2010 2:00 PM CST in 2010 St. Louis Rams season

(Thursday morning update: SI has been added as well. Not much change in the averages. 18.17 average ranking and +1.17 average change.)

(Wednesday morning update: I added the USA Today and National Football Post rankings. Without the Sports Illustrated tally, we're averaged at 18.36 with an average change of +1.18. Breakfast for thought.)

For some, Sunday's road win over the Cardinals was enough to put us firmly in the middle tier of the NFL. For others, buying into a post-GSOT Rams team is really, really hard to do (see CBS Sports rankings). It is what it is.

You can't lose the early games to Arizona, Oakland and Tampa and expect to match up against teams who have performed to standard all season. Still, there's something to be said for momentum and growth; I, for one, have always thought the power rankings were an appropriate medium to make that kind of statement. Some apparently disagree with me (see CBS Sports rankings).

Enough with the codswallop and taradiddle.

SB Nation: 22nd (23rd last week)

Sam Bradford is moving along nicely in his rookie season, especially the last month. Like Seattle, the Rams just need to keep pace with the Seahawks to give them a shot in Week 17.

Thorman's killing me every week. Didn't this happen? I didn't dream it did I?

The rest of the internet's top power rankings after the jump, including one huge crapper (see CBS...ah, you get it by now).

ESPN: 17th (22nd)

Like the 49ers, the Rams own no victories over teams that currently have winning records.

NFL.com: 16th (17th)

CBS Sports: 22nd (20th)

I think what this team has done is a direct tribute to Sam Bradford. They are set at that position for a long time.

Just a thought, or two if I you count the fact we've won two road games in a row and that results in a two-spot drop. Why did we go from 20th to 22nd after consecutive road wins, but Tennessee, who has lost their last two games to Houston and Jacksonville by a combined 37-6, goes from 21st to 19th? Hell, it doesn't make any less sense than sliding the Broncos from 27th to 26th a day after firing their head coach and two days after losing 6-10 in Kansas City. Sensibility, Prisco hath no use for thee!

Fanhouse: 15th (19th)

It's nice to win on the road, and the Rams have orchestrated two big wins over the last two weeks in Denver and Arizona. But their next two games will be the measuring stick as they face New Orleans and Kansas City to try and stay on top of the NFC West.

USA Today: 18th (17th)

Their six wins equal total from three previous seasons.

National Football Post: 21st (21st)

The Rams took care of the Cardinals to stay atop the NFC West and travel to New Orleans this Sunday.

Sporting News: 23rd (23rd)

Sam Bradford aced road trips to Denver and Arizona. Now, he goes down the mighty Mississippi to mighty New Orleans.

Pro Football Weekly: 17th (18th)

Steven Jackson's postgame Tweet: "I'm proud of this team."

Pro Football Talk: 16th (17th)

Meet the early favorite to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLVI. If there is one.

Fox Sports: 15th (18th)

I've been saying for weeks in this space that for the Rams to be a winning team they must be able to win on the road. While they beat the lowly Cardinals last week, they still were able to win away from home. And they were able to get it done without rookie QB Sam Bradford playing well.

Sports Illustrated: 16th (17th)

My 12-year-old son, Micah, said something pretty smart to me the other day. We were talking about how Rams quarterback Sam Bradford and Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh were virtual locks to win the NFL's Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, and he pointed out that when you're drafted first and second overall, that's kind of the way it's supposed to work out. But rarely does.

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Comments

I'll admit

I told my brother at the start of the season the rams will be lucky to win 3. No WR, rookie QB. I was very wrong. Bradford is the man. The power rankings don’t mean anything to me. We keep playing our game and the rest will work itself out. Worst to first.

by Skunkburner on Dec 7, 2010 2:22 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Its never felt so good to be wrong

by RamsFan7 on Dec 8, 2010 10:09 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

The Rams have only played two games against teams who currently have a winning record

We don’t have a win against them because we haven’t played a l lot of them. NO and KC have winning records hopefully we can win those ESPN. And for what it’s worth, the Seahawks had a winning record when we beat them down.

Prisco said the Rams need to win on the road. And now that we have he drops us down these unimportant power ranking.

by Smoooth Criminal on Dec 7, 2010 2:39 PM CST reply actions

weird

2 weeks now, we’re ranked in the teens

I met Joe Halahuni's parents.....in Alaska. Jealous?

by sergey606 on Dec 7, 2010 3:51 PM CST reply actions

Rams good chance to go 9-7, West Divisional winner. Who would have believed

by Thomas W on Dec 7, 2010 4:22 PM CST reply actions

nfc west champs

cant wait for round 1. anyone else going crazy knowing only 4 more weeks left and we have a real chance of playoffs.

by RAISEtheDEAD on Dec 7, 2010 4:24 PM CST reply actions

Anybody else notice

that the absolut ad is gone?

WOOHOO!

by jeff_abs on Dec 7, 2010 4:35 PM CST reply actions

yeah

but they are still pumping the Nyquil adds… whoot whoot

The only thing comparable to a Rams win is a 49er loss!

by DevsLaRams on Dec 7, 2010 4:59 PM CST up reply actions

that's better than the

EA Sports Oregon Duck ads that kept playing on the OSU Beavers’ site earlier this year.
THAT was annoying as hell

I met Joe Halahuni's parents.....in Alaska. Jealous?

by sergey606 on Dec 7, 2010 5:01 PM CST up reply actions

Wait a sec if we make the playoffs

doesnt that kill our chances for a good draft pick aka aj green?

Will gladly sell my soul for a championship..........

by Throw on Dec 7, 2010 4:40 PM CST reply actions

Playoffs are a greater benefit to the team than draft picks by way of free agency (attraction)

not to mention ticket sales and maybe, just maybe, nationally televised games. )

The only thing comparable to a Rams win is a 49er loss!

by DevsLaRams on Dec 7, 2010 4:57 PM CST up reply actions

does it kill our chances at AJ Green? Sure.

Does it kill our chances at a good draft pick in the 1st? Well, Rodger Saffold went in the 2nd this year. Laurinaitis the year before. And after losing in the divisional round of the 2003 NFL Playoffs, the Rams still got Steven Jackson.
So the answer to the second question has to be a definitive no.

You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.

by 3k on Dec 7, 2010 5:07 PM CST up reply actions

oh saffold

what a steal.

I met Joe Halahuni's parents.....in Alaska. Jealous?

by sergey606 on Dec 7, 2010 5:15 PM CST up reply actions

You guys are right

I forgot that with making the playoffs it makes our team more attractive. maybe next year we can be in talks with fitz and sidney rice

Will gladly sell my soul for a championship..........

by Throw on Dec 7, 2010 7:23 PM CST up reply actions

Why would you even say that?

Yo, are you a Niners fan!?

"I kind of stepped my swagger up. You look at the Madden game and the swagger's so low, maybe they'll bump me up. Before it was a meatball flex, so you've got to liven it up a little bit." - Animal Jr.

by douchiedude on Dec 7, 2010 8:00 PM CST up reply actions

Lets not joke

calling someone a 69ers fan is not cool

Will gladly sell my soul for a championship..........

by Throw on Dec 7, 2010 8:48 PM CST up reply actions

You're right,

got a little carried away, I apologize. But I’d gladly pick 32nd if it meant going to the playoffs. Well, if it’s that low, at least one victory as well. But you get the point, I’d pick 20th any day with a playoff berth.

by douchiedude on Dec 7, 2010 9:00 PM CST up reply actions

Its cool

I completely forgot about the fact that good teams are more likely to get good players in FA. Plus before the season started I didnt expect us to do this good and was already looking at the next draft and potential picks.

Will gladly sell my soul for a championship..........

by Throw on Dec 7, 2010 10:25 PM CST up reply actions

We all did.

I was looking at all of the DE’s and DT’s in college before the season started and while they are still a need, it’s definitely no longer due to lack of talent, it’s strictly because of age on our line. Man, I love the Rams.

by douchiedude on Dec 7, 2010 10:57 PM CST up reply actions

DID???

We all still DO! I know I can’t help it.
Maybe it’s due to the last 3 years that has made me constantly scouring the College game for future Rams.

by CaliRamMan on Dec 8, 2010 1:50 PM CST up reply actions

I'm calling you out Thorman

How in the hell do the Seahawks get ranked higher then the Rams. the Rams beat the Seahawks. They have the same record. But the Rams BEAT the Seahawks.

Incredible.

Sam Bradford drops back, sees Laurent Robinson in the open, and he completes the pass for a gain of 28! Oh- Wait, looks like a holding penalty is going to call this one back...(Oh wait; Barron's gone, ignore that last sentence).

by Eric Nagel on Dec 7, 2010 4:46 PM CST reply actions

Not only beat them, but beat them badly.

by andyhawk on Dec 7, 2010 4:56 PM CST up reply actions

Well it's clearly because the Seahawks have won against better teams recently...

"I have something 95 percent of all those All-Stars only wish they had: a World Series ring. If I had to choose between that and being an All-Star, it would be no contest. I’d grab the gold ring and never look back." -Tim Salmon

by BruinHalo on Dec 7, 2010 5:36 PM CST up reply actions

You mean like the Panthers?

My blog

by Guru506 on Dec 7, 2010 6:30 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah

And the cards before that

by BruinHalo on Dec 7, 2010 8:27 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

which brokeup what would have been a 5 game losing streak

by leadhead on Dec 7, 2010 8:33 PM CST up reply actions

They definitely deserve to be higher than us.

by douchiedude on Dec 7, 2010 9:00 PM CST up reply actions

I also want to point out

That the Seahawks and Rams play exactly the same schedule (including home/away) except for Chicago/Detroit and vs.New York/vs.Washington.

In this case, the Rams played lesser teams but with the same result (1-1). I guess that could work as logic to say that Seattle is better. Except Seattle got pounded by Oakland and Denver – not to mention the Rams. The Rams have only been blown out by Detroit (ok, we’ll say that’s equivalent to Denver) and Atlanta (who Seattle is yet to be pounded by).

I guess all in all, it’s fair to say that Seattle and St. Louis are even. But just like the standings, tie goes to the Rams for now.

by BruinHalo on Dec 7, 2010 5:42 PM CST up reply actions

Damn formatting

Should read “@Chicago and @ Detroit.”

by BruinHalo on Dec 7, 2010 5:42 PM CST up reply actions

Honest Look

The Rams haven’t beaten anyone this year besides SD and they have some bad losses. They have played the weakest schedule in the NFL and are just .500. They could easily be ranked lower in all of those ranking systems.

Remember the great 2004 and 2005 Rams teams...

by Marmie is the best on Dec 7, 2010 7:09 PM CST reply actions

It would be nice for the Rams to get over .500

Let alone beating teams that are over .500. So many of their games have been so close. This tells me that they have a good chance of pulling out a surprising win. I think going into New Orleans is a super tall order to think that the Rams would come out of there with a win. But KC…at home…I think the Rams have to look at that game and just go fuck yeah we can take these guys and finish the season at 9-7.

I have enjoyed this mediocre season as much as the GSOT. I love they way this team plays the game. So many close games are going to turn into wins next year.

by leadhead on Dec 7, 2010 7:17 PM CST reply actions

Would love to beat the Saints...

but could live with a loss IF we play well and hang with them. The KC game at home is one I have circled as the defining win, possibly saying to the league “We’re back!”

by CFB_fan on Dec 8, 2010 1:27 PM CST reply actions