One veteran NFL columnist of more than 40 years has written his prediction for the Los Angeles Rams, using the word “bullish” to describe the team’s chances of winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy in their home.
And “bullish” was clearly used from the keyboard of Peter King to mean rising stock – a good thing for the Rams.
King, the longtime NFL insider who began writing articles in 1980, called for the Rams to win the Super Bowl in his 2021 NFL Season Prediction released on Monday, September 6. He also went into detail about why Sean McVay‘s new quarterback will work perfectly this upcoming season.
Why King is ‘Bullish’ On Rams
King chose the Rams over last season’s Super Bowl winner the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s also picked the Rams to top the Kansas City Chiefs in the February contest. One reason behind his Rams’ prediction? The trajectory of the offense. King wrote:
“Bullish on the Rams: Let me give you an illustration about where the Rams have been, and where I think they’re going. The best iteration of the Sean McVay Rams came in the first 12 games of 2018. Remember the bombs-away Rams? With (Jared) Goff proving (or so we thought) what a good deep-ball thrower he was, particularly on that Thursday night at the Coliseum when he strafed the Vikings? The Rams then, and the Rams since:
The first 12 games of 2018: Rams 11-1, averaging 34.9 points per game.
The 41 games since (including playoffs): Rams 24-17, averaging 23.9 points per game.
I think we’re going to see a Rams offense like that one in 2018. A couple of differences between then and now. That year, the Rams had the league’s 19th-rated defense. This year, the Rams are coming off a season when they had the top-rated defense in the league. Gone is coordinator Brandon Staley, who got the Chargers’ head job, but the three best defensive players are back: all-world Aaron Donald and one of the game’s best cornerback tandems, Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams. And the quarterback is new and improved over last year’s model.”
Yes, the acquisition of Matthew Stafford adds to the growing list of national NFL writers who believe the Rams will be new and improved on offense. King later wrote:
“Simply put, Matthew Stafford gives (Sean) McVay, one of the smartest offensive brains in the game, the first chance in his five seasons as coach to have confidence in calling everything on his play sheet. Everything. Stafford has the arm to make every throw, and the brain to know when to make one throw versus another.”
King Mentioned Conversation With Opposing Coach Who Beamed at Stafford/McVay Pairing
King wasn’t finished on the topic of the new Rams’ QB1. He detailed a conversation he had with a unanimous coach on why the linking of Stafford and McVay will work:
“One coach who has faced Stafford multiple times told me on my camp tour he thinks the marriage between Stafford and McVay will work well. ‘Stafford with Sean is going to be fantastic,’ this coach said. ‘Sean’s been waiting for a guy who can execute everything he wants to call.'”
And King’s league Most Valuable Pick? The 33-year-old Stafford.
King includes the addition of Sony Michel and return of other key veterans as his reasons in choosing the Rams. But did express concerns at left tackle and the offensive line with Andrew Whitworth entering his 40s and the lack of depth, with King calling it “playing with fire at left tackle” and calling the spot thin.
King, though, is optimistic (or bullish) about the Rams, saying “I’ll take my chances with them” in his final prediction statement.
No comments:
Post a Comment