It's too bad the St. Louis Rams and the Indianapolis Colts don't play each other this season. I think all football fans are entitled to settle the debate about which one is truly the worst team in the NFL. Unfortunately, the league's schedule bot neglected to include that in the plans for 2011, since not even a super computer could have foreseen just how bad the Rams are this season. As it stands now, the Rams are in a three-way race for the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Whether or not they can clinch that spot, picking in the top two picks for the fourth time in five years, remains to be seen.
After the jump, we handicap the race to second-worst.
Right now, there are two other teams with two wins, the Minnesota Vikings and the Carolina Panthers.
As for the Rams' remaining schedule, they looked completely overmatched the rest of the way. Only next week's home game against the Arizona Cardinals once looked winnable. After that, they play San Francisco twice, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and a Monday Night rematch in Seattle. It's safe to say three wins is the ceiling for this team, and that's generous.
Carolina plays Indianapolis next week, and they ability to score points looks like too tall an order for the Colts to match. They also have two games against Tampa Bay left. More than anything, Carolina looks like the kind of team that can easily steal a game in an upset, as they nearly did yesterday against Detroit.
Winning another might be tough for the Vikings, especially if Adrian Peterson misses any amount of time. They do have a home game against the Broncos and travel to Washington before the season's end.
Speaking of Washington, they are one of two three-win teams that could still challenge the Rams for a higher draft pick if the Rams somehow manage to catch lightening in a bottle and win another game. The Redskins could always surprise the Jets the week after next, but they have a tough schedule to finish the season. That game against Minnesota is their closest matchup.
The Miami Dolphins are another three-win team, but they're playing like a different team right now.
Ultimately, it's between the Rams and the Vikings for the second spot in the draft.