Make known your 2023 prediction, and stick by it!!!

[Allen2McVay]

I'm gonna grow a fuckin beak at this rate

"That would be an improvement" says @Loyal

 

[El Chapo Jr]

"That would be an improvement" says @Loyal

Better than growing an actual feather coat. He wouldn't be able to resist petting me.

 

[Zodi]

Let's be honest... most everyone on this board was just being optimistic. No one had any idea that Puka or Kobie Turner or Young or even Kyren Williams was going to be this good.

I did draft Puka in my dynasty league with my last pick this draft.

 

[BriansRams]

Let's be honest... most everyone on this board was just being optimistic. No one had any idea that Puka or Kobie Turner or Young or even Kyren Williams was going to be this good.

Is that another way of saying you give no credit at all to those who said we'd definitely be good enough to make the playoffs? They get no credit because they didn't know about Puka, Kobie or Kyren?

 

[fanotodd]

I can easily see the Rams having a season like the lions did last year:
1) rough start, mainly because the defense can’t stop anybody.
2) big finish as a team that nobody looks forward to playing.

If the Rams can steal an early division game in the first 2 weeks, they will not come up a game short of the playoffs like the lions did last year.

I just don’t see how this defense can come out of the gate hot unless they get TOs because the ball is bouncing their way. Actually, I see more big plays being given up, due to all of the new faces on defense.

This wasn’t too bad.

 

[tempests]

Let's be honest... most everyone on this board was just being optimistic. No one had any idea that Puka or Kobie Turner or Young or even Kyren Williams was going to be this good.

Nobody has perfect knowledge of the future.

There were reasons to think the Rams could be better than they were generally perceived. Even if you just granted them good health for Stafford and the offensive line.

It only took the opening game against Seattle to see the pundits were way off on their assessment of the roster.

 

[Loyal]

Is that another way of saying you give no credit at all to those who said we'd definitely be good enough to make the playoffs? They get no credit because they didn't know about Puka, Kobie or Kyren?

I believe those of us who were on the more optimistic side of the ledger, believed that Snead could work minor miracles with lower round draft picks and that Sean could coach them up. I know I wrote and I wasn't alone in this, that the band of rookies in the beginning of the season would mature quickly before season's end. Plus, I made my prediction of 9 wins based on a healthy, sharp Matthew Stafford, a healthy Cooper Kupp and this no name rookie named Puka. Puka's ability to run great routes, study hard and soak up everything from Kupp made me excited about him. I had a quiver in my liver that told me he was different than a pre-season wonder like others had been, but who could have guessed how great he would become?
I also was over the moon about Steve Avila. I was hoping his presence would solidify the left side of the line by making the LT better. He's just such a great kid with great feet and he's HUGE.

I might be wrong but it seemed to me that those predicting a dismal record based it on the lack of a 1st round pick, the CAP situation and resulting departure of veteran players. I think most of us wrote off McVay's comments about youthful energy being a valuable asset as coach-speak. I also think the excitement of getting Caleb or whomever the top QB prospects in the 2024 Draft, was what they wanted. This season is definitely an assumption buster.

 

[OldSchool]

Still upset we didn't hit my 20-0 prediction.

 

[RamDino]

Is that another way of saying you give no credit at all to those who said we'd definitely be good enough to make the playoffs? They get no credit because they didn't know about Puka, Kobie or Kyren?

It's not about giving credit. It's just that every prediction is just a guess. And with the Rams losing so many veteran players like Ramsey, Wagner, Gaines, Ashawn, Gay, etc, and not having a first-round pick, and not being a player in free-agency made me think that the Rams were not gonna be a playoff team. I still had a great season watching these guys have a great season. Isn't that all that counts?

 

[majrleaged]

No fun in that.
The Rams start out 1 and 5, but are improving. They put together a string of wins and end up 10 and 7 and make the last playoff spot. They are hot at the end of the season and win a playoff game. The season is a great success because the young guys started to put it together and infused the vets with energy. They gain playoff experience and are in the hunt for the SB in 2024.
McVay gets coach of the year because he held the youngest team in NFL history together when everyone was picking them to win the Caleb sweepstakes. Morris surprises many of us and runs a top 15 D. Mostly because of the big improvement the second half of the season. Rated top 5 in the last 8 games. Which gets him the Head coaching job for the Chargers, who again under performs. This puts Staley in the running to be the Rams DC but McVay picks someone else.
AD has a 20 sack season because Brown eats up blockers and our bevy of young edge rushers combine for 23 sacks. Put that together with the MLBs sacks and other random blitzers and the D racks up around 55 sacks with untold pressures. Of course this creates many turn overs. The rams lead the league in turn over ratio and Defensive scores the last half of the season.
The offense becomes top 5 out of the gate scoring 32 points a game.

Stafford has his best statistical season ever and wins his first of 2 MVP awards. Kupp scores 14 TDs and over 1500 yards and 10 pancakes.
Cam also has his best year rushing for over 1300 yards and 16 TDs.
Of course this great offensive season is due to the revamped Oline. The only injuries suffered were to Allen and Boom.

I was way off on most of it. That is why you should keep predictions simple and short. Although I hit a homer on the Staley prediction. My overall prediction could still happen.
I also put a hundred down that the Rams win total would be more than 6.5. I went to vegas a right before the holidays and found out I have to go back because you can't collect a prop bet till the season is over. Winning this bet is going to cost me a lot of money. GO RAMS

 

[Karate61]

11-6
Deep into playoffs.
Rams still have: Stafford, Kupp & Donald.
Online might not be stellar, but will be solid.

I was close, so far. Will have to see how the playoffs go. Last season the oline catastrophe did us in. I didn't think that would be the case this season. I mean, that oline was such a disaster. With Avila coming in, I didn't think that disaster would repeat again this season, and it didn't. Oline has been solid this season. With Stafford, Kupp etc. operating with a solid oline, I felt the offense could be powerful again and overcome the weaknesses of the defense. Well, defense hasn't been to bad (enter Kobie Turner, etc.) and here we are, back in the playoffs! Feels so good!

Now, let's kick some ass here in January!

 

[RamsSince1969]

Well done BriansRams! I hope you're right about the SB run. Majrleaged also predicting fairly close to what is coming to fruition.

 

[Merlin]

Isn't that all that counts?

No. What counts is driving your enemies before you with your visionary record predictions. And the lamentation of their women.

 

[oldnotdead]

I've done this in prior posts:

Lowend: 10-7 wildcard
Most likely: 11-6 Divison Champ
Within Reach: 12-5 #2 seed in NFC playoffs

Possible result: Super Bowl #3 for McVay

But it's next year that I see 13-4 as their most likely record and the most likely year for a Super Bowl.

Yeah I believe it's possible to win back to back Lombardi's in 2023 & 2024 to send Stafford and Donald into retirement to await their HOF gold blazer. I believe in at least one SB appearance either this year or next year. This team is built it just needs seasoning...i.e. the "sauce".

If they win at least one more Lombardi with Stafford, it will cement his trade as one of the best in NFL history. Also it will be a hurt that the Niners will never get over. The lesson: "Never sleep on Snead when dealing he doesn't take weekends off."

IMO Snead and McVay will go down in NFL history as a HOF combination. I see at least 3 more Lombardi's over the next 10 years with these two running the Rams. 4 Lombardi Trophies in 15 years is a dynasty.

In the 5 years of Mahomes as a starter, KC has won 2 SBs. So believing the Rams to get 4 in 15 years puts them in that category.

I just hope I live that long to see it happen.

I even talked about a SB this year. It was simple. Just read the coffee grounds (used first of course).

 

[BriansRams]

Still upset we didn't hit my 20-0 prediction.

Well, even I didn't get that crazy.
All I predicted was making it to the superbowl. I didn't even predict that we'll win it.

 

[JYB]

Heart says 9 wins...

Brain stuck on 4.

Will enjoy the ride regardless

How the heck did you win the ROD pick em pool?

 

[Faceplant]

How the heck did you win the ROD pick em pool?

Obviously I picked with my HEART!!

P. S. I finna winit again this year!!

 

[BriansRams]

Well done BriansRams! I hope you're right about the SB run. Majrleaged also predicting fairly close to what is coming to fruition.

I am right. I'm sure of it. We'll make the super bowl.
I've been saying it loudly since back in October 2022.

 

[PARAM]

I don't know what our final record will be and neither does anybody else. My prediction? We'll be considerably better than Ramsnation's consensus for our outlook.

I went for 5-12.

The humble pie is in the oven.

Some would say I was dead on, other would say I didn't have the balls to put a number to it. Honestly, I didn't think we'd have 10 wins and my feeling was if some things fell our way, we'd be over .500. But even though we are considerably better than Ramsnation's consensus, I wasn't correct because we really are CONSIDERABLY BETTER now that we made the postseason.

 

[Loyal]

Well, even I didn't get that crazy.
All I predicted was making it to the superbowl. I didn't even predict that we'll win it.

doubter!!!