2015 St. Louis Rams: Looking At The Schedule After Week 11 Of The NFL Season

Not all that long ago, the Rams were riding high. They had a record-setting rookie running back with a formidable defense, and with that combination there was a sense of hope.

That sense of hope has faded into the bleak reality of today, where the Rams are clawing to stay out of last place in the division. The NFC West went 2-2 during Week 11 with the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks each winning to continue to improve their playoff positioning.

The biggest story in the Rams' 13-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens? Complete and utter offensive ineptitude.

New starting QB Case Keenum wasn't exactly the spark the offense needed, and the patchwork offensive line just isn't good enough to open running lanes for Todd Gurley against eight- and nine-man boxes. Overall, the team committed four turnovers while being dominated yet again on time of possession. The offense mustered just 213 yards on 56 total plays for a whopping 3.8 yards per play. An offense that struggles to generate yards AND commits turnovers is a recipe for defeat. The Ravens tried their hardest not to accept the Rams offerings, but in the end the Rams made them an offer they couldn't refuse.

The Rams' offense isn't getting the job done, even while the defense is playing top notch football. If the Rams offense was anywhere but the bottom of the league in nearly every ranking, this team would likely be 7-3.

The offense doesn't really even need to be average. If they could somehow find their way to 24th best offense in the NFL they could be a playoff contender. Games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens were all there for the taking by an offense capable of doing ANYTHING!

The five weeks following the bye in Week 6 were supposed to offer the Rams an opportunity to make up some ground following a tough opening stretch. Instead, the easiest five-week schedule in recent memory turned into one of the ugliest three-game losing stretches of the Jeff Fisher era.

Let's take a look at the Rams 2015 schedule.

The Rams sit at 4-6 following their third consecutive defeat, and to quote Mel Brooks from History of the World, only a Miracle can save them now. While the Rams are not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, they would likely have to win all six of their remaining games and have a few other games go their way as well. Even their first winning season under Jeff Fisher now seems like an incredible long shot.

Let's take a look at the path forward over the next two weeks.

If the Rams are going to right the ship over the next two weeks, they are certainly going to have to earn it. The Rams will hit the road to take on the Cincinnati Bengals who currently sit at 8-2 following back to back defeats to the Houston Texans and the Cardinals. The Bengals are just a flat out better team than the Rams at this point, as should be expected of an 8-2 team. It is possible this will be another trademark Jeff Fisher upset special, but I am not holding my breath. The Rams offense will need to get something going to keep pace with the Bengals who scored 31 points against a pretty stout Cardinals D in Week 11.

The task doesn't get much easier in Week 13 as the Rams return home to play host to the NFC West division-leading Cardinals. Currently sitting at 8-2 following victories over the Seahawks and Bengals, the Cardinals will be looking to exact some revenge for their early season loss. With Carson Palmer playing at a very high level the Rams offense will once again need to find a way to keep pace with a much more NFL ready offense. The Cardinals defense surrendered 24 points to the Rams in their last meeting, soI am sure they will be looking to cut that number in half as they tighten their stranglehold on the NFC West.

The Rams' road to the playoffs, and even a winning season, appear all but over. The next two weeks will likely shut the door on those hopes for good in 2015. The team's remaining schedule presents some opportunity for the team to improve against some quality opponents, but the wins may be few and far between. Even games against the Lions and Buccaneers, which once appeared extremely winnable, now seem anything but. Plenty of things change over the course of two or three weeks in the NFL, but something tells me the Rams offense isn't going to be one of them.

Thanks for reading and as always, Go Rams!!!