Playoffs Still Possible For The St. Louis Rams?

Since his arrival as head coach of the St. Louis Rams, Steve Spagnuolo has held out one ultimate goal for his team. It wasn't winning the NFC West, and it wasn't getting back above .500. It was winning the Super Bowl. Even in August that seemed a little far-fetched; now, it seem positively absurd. 

Reaching the playoffs is no, officially, a long shot. As Pat Kirwan from NFL.com pointed out today, just 2.8 percent of the teams starting the season 0-3 have reached the playoffs since 1990. 

The playoff odds report at Football Outsiders paints a much bleaker picture. Their projections give the Rams a 2.7 percent chance of making the playoffs, and a 2.5 percent chance of winning the NFC West. Right now, San Francisco with a 2-1 record, has the best chance of winning the division at 73.3 percent. 

In terms of mean wins this season, St. Louis does not project as the worst team. That dubious honor goes to Kansas City with a projection of 4.2 mean wins. The Rams are right behind them, projected to win 4.5 games this season. 

I really did not wake up today with the intention of being a downer for fans. I'm a fan too, after all. More than anything, this is a stark reminder that the Rams have to turn things around quickly. At this point, I'm not a huge believer that they can sweep through the NFC West as I once projected. The playoffs may not be a realistic goal, but winning more than five games is a must.