The Rams move to Los Angeles was hardly memorable. Jeff Fisher was fired. Jared Goff looked like an enormous bust. Todd Gurley regressed terribly in his sophomore campaign. The only bright side was the defense, but it also flamed out at the tail end of the year due to overuse. The franchise enters the 2017-18 season refreshed and ready to go with the youngest coach in NFL history, Sean McVay, at the helm. With so many problem areas needing to be addressed, the Rams will step onto the field in Week 1 as the third biggest underdog to win the NFC ( +6600 ).
NFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Arizona Cardinals +1853
Atlanta Falcons +472
Carolina Panthers +1350
Chicago Bears +7500
Dallas Cowboys +620
Detroit Lions +2900
Green Bay Packers +460
Los Angeles Rams +6600
Minnesota Vikings +1800
New Orleans Saints +2405
New York Giants +888
Philadelphia Eagles +1700
San Francisco 49ers +8500
Seattle Seahawks +444
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1650
Washington Redskins +3000
Key Players for Winning the NFC
Jared Goff – No ifs, ands or buts about it. Goff was a complete and utter disaster last season. However, the coaching staff hardly did much to help the youngster out. The former Cal Golden Bear was immediately put in a much better place when McVay was brought over from Washington. He helped mold Kirk Cousins into what he is today, and was one of the architects of a Redskins offense that lit the league afire with its passing attack the last couple seasons. Goff also gets the benefit of Andrew Whitworth being signed in free agency to look after his blindside. The veteran has allowed just four sacks the last three seasons. In a surprise move, Sammy Watkins was snagged from Buffalo right after the start of training camp. Goff now has a bona fide No. 1 pass catcher to get the pigskin to. The needle looks to be pointed up for the second-year gunslinger.
Todd Gurley – If Goff is to truly put forth a bounce back campaign, he’s going to need some help from an anemic rushing attack that averaged just 78.2 yards and 3.3 yards per carry last season. Each tally ranked out as the second worst in the league. Gurley was one of the main reasons why. After introducing himself to the NFL with over 1,100 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in just 13 games his rookie year, the former Georgia Bulldog only went for 885 yards and averaged a woeful 3.2 yards per carry last season. Should the offensive line and Gurley quickly adjust to the new zone blocking schemes being implemented, the sky is the limit for this tremendous talent. His success will directly coincide with Goff’s. If both excel, the Rams offense will improve dramatically.
Wade Phillips – Off recent successful stops in both Houston and Denver, Phillips brings his vaunted 3-4 defense to Los Angeles where what was a solid defense before will attempt to change its identity. It won’t be easy to persuade All-Pro Aaron Donald that it’s the way to go, but the proof is in the pudding. Both the Broncos and Texans still possess top of the line stop units, and Phillips is the one that laid the foundation for each. If Donald listens to his mentor, he could end up being the NFL’s best defensive player in 2017-18. LA is stacked in its front seven, but the secondary looks to be the Achilles Heel. For this unit to take a step forward, the D-Line and linebacker core must set the tone. If not, Los Angeles could be a decent over bet after going 9-7 to the under last season.
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