Perspective shifts as Los Angeles Rams end losing streak

I’m gonna be sparse this week. My mother’s neighborhood got hit (hard) by the tornadoes in Dallas, so I’m helping those folks clean up and start the rebuilding process.

On the much brighter side, our Los Angeles Rams got a big win in Week 7 over the Atlanta Falcons, 37-10. It was a much-needed win and a must-needed performance.

Injuries

The Rams came out of Week 6 in a bit of an injury crisis, but thankfully we didn’t add any names to the list this week. We’ll see how things look on the initial injury report on Wednesday, but barring any surprises it should be pretty thin.

Performance Issues

To be up 30-3 late in the 4th quarter on the road, it’s hard to find a ton to be critical of.

The Goffcoaster was in operation again. While QB Jared Goff overall had a solid performance, there were still plenty of missed throws. Graciously, Atlanta’s secondary was just not crisp, and Goff took advantage spreading the ball around with relative ease.

The run game never got going, but that was less a function of the running backs and more an issue with run blocking. The O-line didn’t have anywhere near the horrorshows of Week 6 or Week 4, but it still wasn’t a plus day. They’ll have to improve after the bye for the Rams to contend, but at least we got a sense of how the offense can still move the ball and put up points even when the line isn’t playing well.

Defensively, it was a masterclass. The run defense was stout. EDGE Dante Fowler, Jr., played his best game as a Ram. S Marqui Christian was yet again reliable as he filled in for injured S John Johnson III. CB Troy Hill offered the same in place of CB Aqib Talib while new Ram CB Jalen Ramsey integrated well into the side dealing with one of the NFL’s best in Falcons WR Julio Jones.

Standings

The NFC West is the best division in football through seven weeks with 18 wins. The NFC North is in second with 16. So the Rams have tough sledding ahead (a) to try and stick with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in the divisional race and (b) to deal with these three teams over another four games.

Much like the NFC West offering the tougher competition, the NFC looks much stronger than the AFC. Three teams with more than five wins to the AFC’s one. Five teams with two or less wins to the AFC’s seven including two without a win.

It’s a long season ahead with the post-bye schedule looking the defining stretch.