Could Adding T.O. Make the Rams a Playoff Contender?
It's no secret that TO had some very memorable moments on the field; however, sadly, some of his most memorable moments came OFF the field.
His antics and constant mouth running seem to always be at the forefront so far during his NFL career, but you cannot dismiss the fact that TO is quite possibly (Jerry Rice aside) a receiver with one of the best work ethics the NFL has ever seen.
He is a workout warrior and has always stayed in shape physically. Mentally? That's a whole other story.
The big question I would like to address is, could adding TO make the Rams a playoff contender?
It has been argued that the Rams can potentially win 5-6 games this year AS IS. With that said, can they pull out another 3-4 wins with TO and
squeak into the playoffs as a major cinderella and make some noise? OR, let's even go a step further... how about possibly winning the division?
Let's face it, the Rams have no legitimate #1 wide receiver. That has been their Achilles heel on offense over the past couple years... and Owens knows this offense. Should the Rams make the move? Could he help?
Should Rams fans, "Getcha Popcorn Ready"?
More after the jump...
It's no secret that the NFC West is a very weak division. The Seahawks, in my opinion, are a falling franchise right now, and the 49ers are no juggernaut. Top that with Kurt Warner retiring, Boldin saying "cya" for the Ravens (which leaves Arizona set up for a potential freefall), and you have yourself a recipe for some hope in St Louis that would make even Bobby Flay excited.
Let's "pretend" for a moment that TO signs, and has a great camp.
Looking at the Rams schedule, they start the season with 4 very winnable games EVEN with AJ Feeley at the helm (3 out of 4 at home).
ARIZONA CARDINALS (W)
at Oakland Raiders (L) could we squeak it out, YES
WASHINGTON REDSKINS (W)
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (W)
The next 4 also aren't all that bad either,
at Detroit Lions (L)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (L)
at Tampa Bay (W)
CAROLINA PANTHERS (W)
After the first half of the season, I could seriously see us potentially at 5-3 or even 6-2. Remember, this isn't about TO's ability as much as what he brings to the table as far as attention. Action Jackson could have some monster numbers against many of the aforementioned opponents, and also you can't deny TO would step up to the plate on many occasions and make some big plays too.
Now let's look at the second half, with the first four being the worst stretch of the season:
at San Francisco 49ers (L)
ATLANTA FALCONS (L)
at Denver Broncos (L)
at Arizona Cardinals (W)
Now the end stretch:
at New Orleans Saints (L)
KANSAS CITY (W)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (W)
at Seattle Seahawks (W)
After all is said and done, there are a few things to consider. The above potential outcomes pit us at 9-7 and SWEEPING Seattle and Arizona. Now, if we do that (barring a monstrous 49er year) we would most likely win the division.
So here's what is interesting... if we're gonna make the playoffs this year with 9 wins, the most likely scenario will be the Rams entering as division champions.
Now, we can't ignore the fact that Sam will be hopping into the lineup at some point, so (sorry Sam) it really, ONCE AGAIN, comes down to how well he plays when inserted.
Now The "If's"
If SJAX and the O-Line have a great year and stay healthy, if the defense looks at least somewhat respectable, if A.J. plays well enough to open the season, if Sam steps in and does even average, if TO keeps his mouth shut and just plays his game, AND if we get a few balls bouncing our way, well... it could very well become a reality.
So I ask you, do YOU think we can make a run like this by adding T.O.?
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19 comments
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Comments
I am very skeptical about TO
All I can say is if we sign TO, I will support the decision but he better not mess with Bradford. Bradford is our future not TO.
by crashoveride01 on Jul 26, 2010 10:42 AM CDT reply actions
God bless your optimism bro but there is no way we will come close to the playoffs this year
Yes we have an easy schedule, a stud RB, a great coach and a lot of young players with loads of potential. But all these young players need to grow, especially bradford. Even if he does start right away dont expect him to get us many wins as a rookie QB. The only rookie QBs to have success in this league had a real strong foundation around them. Sjax cant do it all by himself as we witnessed last year. Our players just cant seem to remain healthy and even if they did we cant take the division from the 49ers and we will certainly not get enough wins to enter as a wild card team. Maybe if TO was in his prime but remember he is ~36 now. He is still a good player but not good enough to turn a 1-15 team into a play off contender. We were slaughtered by our divisional opponents and while the cardinals may be vulnerable, the seahawks had an amazing draft.
I think TO will help develop Bradford.
He’s a large, physical reciever and will fight for the ball. You can’t say that about most of our recievers right now and I think he will suit Bradford good, and help him gain his confidence
It's about TOs size, not much of anything else...
TO is a big target. He isn’t easy to bring down. Imagine him grabbing 5-6 passes combined with 18-20 carries for Jack by the 3rd quarter. That means defenses will need to drag down a difficult 230+lb player 25 times by the end of the third. Thinking that will be tough and tire opposing teams, that will set up Jack and TO for big 4th quarters. Get it? Good.
We got absolutely pulverized by the
Seahawks and 49ers last year.
Keith Null won't accept my friend requests.
by loyal2therams on Jul 26, 2010 11:35 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
we would win the div if all went well without TO
the thing is, is TO is a short term fix to a long term issue, he would stop us from playing some of the unproven young guys who have yet had a chance to showcase their skills.
i am not anti TO, i think he is great and would help, but he would hinder the progression of our young guns.
also, I think at best in the div we sweep AZ, get one win against SF and SEA each (probably home). We can beat Denver too, they have a horrible roster and an even worse coach…
Bradford to Onobun!
TO is now a moot point.
And if we can’t beat Oakland or Denver, we sure as heck ain’t gonna take 5 of 6 division games. Weren’t we 0-12 within the NFC West over the last couple seasons with NO close games?
i think beating oakland will be harder than beating az, seattle or denver
they got rid of the only thing that held them back… Jamarcus Russell and replaced him with a very good young QB in Jason Campbell… I really think they will challenge the Chargers in the AFC West next season…
Bradford to Onobun!
Campbell just needs to not lose the game.
He’s a huge upgrade over JaDumbass. Then again, Gradkowski was a huge upgrade as well.
The Raiders are now a decent (if not great) team simply by cutting Russell.
I can take a beating ... I'm a Rams fan.
by Midasknight on Jul 28, 2010 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Oakland's D line not so bad, dominated at times last year
They had their moments last year, including wins over Pitt and Philly. Richard Seymour is still pretty effective and could present matchup problems for inexperienced Rams o-linemen, which could result in a rookie Rams QB throwing near Namdi Asomugha…
I’m just sayin, don’t underestimate them just because you hate them. The Rams don’t have any walkovers.
by CoachConnors on Jul 28, 2010 7:12 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't hate the Raiders. I reserve my seething hate for the Pats, Hawks and 49ers.
Last year the Raiders were giant killers. Conversely, they let weak teams run all over them. I hope that pattern holds this year too.
your scenario is EXTREMELY unrealistic
you’re suggesting a washed up #2 receiver at best could make the rams from a 2-4 win team to a 9-7 team?
im sorry terrell owens is worthless and terrible to the rams and he doesn’t exactly keep his mouth shut either….. not to mention we HAVE at least 2 #2s already and getting TO will limit a young gun’s playing time
Rasmus can hit lefties
cardinalred
St. Louis Sports blog
No, from a 5-6 win team to a 9 win team, and yes
"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." - Vince Lombardi

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