Football Outsiders Ranked 2016 LA Rams As Healthiest Team In NFL

Back on November 8, 2016, I pointed out how fortunate the Los Angeles Rams had been on the health front then sitting at 3-5 on a four-game losing streak:

The Rams have been unbelievably fortunate on the injury front through nine weeks of the NFL season. Granted, a 3-5 record is hard to help suggest good fortune on nearly any front, but looking around the league at the injuries that nearly every other team has had to endure since constructing their 90-man rosters in the summer, the Rams could be in much worse shape personnel-wise were they not as lucky to avoid major injury.

So yes. The Rams are, in a way, lucky just to be 3-5.

Over the second half of the season, the Rams would remain unbelievably fortunate on the injury front...so fortunate that Football Outsiders ultimately ranked them #1 in the entire NFL in 2016 for Adjusted Games Lost:

The only real significant injury for the Rams was defensive end Robert Quinn, the No. 2 star on the defense behind Aaron Donald. Quinn also missed half of 2015 as well. The Rams had 13 players start at least 14 games, but still had problems with bad coaching and a shortage of good players. Sure, it's nice that Tavon Austin started 15 games, but it's generally not a good thing when he's the target of a pass from Case Keenum or Jared Goff. The Rams will almost undoubtedly suffer more injuries in 2017, but if new coach Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips can get the most out of these high draft picks, then the team should rise above its usual 7-9 bullsh*t.

By the way, Fisher did not make the playoffs or finish better than 8-8 in any of his last seven seasons. In five of those seasons, he had a top-10 team in AGL, including four top-six finishes. His teams were healthy, but still not able to win.

Yeah, what he said.