Los Angeles Rams 26, New Orleans Saints 20: Driving and deserved

Are the Rams among the NFC's strongest competitors and deserving of top billing among the other divisional leaders or are they simply a cut below in the second tier?

That was the question I posed in the gamethread for the first half today. It’s a question the Los Angeles Rams answered definitively by beating the New Orleans Saints 26-20 today.

We can be blunt.

The Los Angeles Rams are one of the best teams in the NFC and thus the NFL.

They deserve to be framed as such. As contenders for a legitimate playoff push. As NFC West leaders who have earned the right to be considered threats in the conference.

There’s history to be acknowledged. It’s the best season since 2006 when the Rams went 8-8. And barring something disastrous, it’s going to be the franchise’s first winning season since 2003. And barring something semi-disastrous, this team is going to the playoffs. And they’re doing this a year after going 4-12 in their second year back in Los Angeles.

We can talk about the defense today (we will) and we can talk about the maturation of QB Jared Goff (we will) and we can talk about WR Sammy Watkins and WR Josh Reynolds and WR Tavon Austin (we will), but just revel in this damn day, Rams fans.

The LA Rams are a force to be reckoned with.

It’s been too damn long, but it’s here. And it’s real.