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OK Let me see if I have this correct. Earlier this season, the New York Jets defeated the Miami Dolphins. Last week, the St. Louis Rams defeated the New York Jets. This week, the Rams will go to Miami, so therefore...
We'll let's try this one. In Week 3 the Rams defeated Buffalo on the road in upper New York State. The next week, the Buffalo Bills defeated San Francisco. Next Sunday the 49ers will come to town for their annual visit to St. Louis, so hence...
Isn't it interesting what a difference a week makes to a fan's outlook?
Congratulations to the Rams on their 30-10 win at the Dome against the Jets of New York. The Rams outplayed the Jets in all aspects of the game much to the delight of the large crowd that ventured downtown on a beautiful autumn afternoon.
The heat is off Tony Banks and the Rams Defense: at least for a week. But by the same token, the Jets were missing one of their key players for the game, and the Rams had the luxury of being more rested because of a previous week BYE.
So with that victory, our male sheep are 2-3. What a peculiar season this is!! This team could be 5-0 or 0-5. So they wind up somewhere in between. But for as well as the Rams have played against the boys of Gotham on Sunday, we can not help but think back to a loss at home against Arizona; a game which the Rams could have (or should have) won.
This is the same Rams team that in opening game of the season at home, spotted 24 points to the New Orleans Saints. (One of the few teams with a\ worse record than the Rams in 1997.) But then one short week later, our local heroes came within one yard of possibly tying the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.
Next stop: Miami Jimmy Johnson, Dan Marino, and the Dolphins.
For those who are blindly optimistic and are betting on an upset in Florida, let me remind you that in 1997, the Rams defeated the other New York NFL team at the Dome for their second win of the season. 1997 Victory #3 for the Rams came after Thanksgiving.
For those who are nay-sayers thinking that the pre-Columbus Day performance was a mirage let me remind you that of the thirty National Football League teams, only thirteen teams currently have a better record than the Rams.
St. Louis also ranks 8th in the entire NFL in Total Offense and 11th in the entire NFL in Total Defense, at this writing, according to the USA Today.
Predictably Unpredictable, right?
Local PSL Holders and faithful want to love this football team. But let's face it, following the Rams in 1998 is much like following the stock marke over the past weeks; some days you are hopeful, some days you are angry.
Earlier in this space, I labeled 1998 as the Show Me Season for the St. Louis Rams. As we approach game #6, I am not really sure what has been shown so far.
At this stage, a reasonable football fan is looking for any improvement by the Rams. Improvement is defined as playing better week by week. A victory in Miami would do wonders for the team, but realistically, it is not expected.
Nor is a victory expected next week when the 49ers come in from the Bay to play the Rams. It has been light years since the Rams had more points than San Francisco when the final gun sounded. (How long has it been? Well, the Rams last defeated the Niners when George Bush was President, Johnny Carson hosted the Tonight Show, Whitey Herzog just resigned as Manager of the Cardinals, and Vince Schoemehl was the Mayor of the City of St. Louis.)
So with a third of the season in the books, the Rams have been both inconsistent and unpredictable. They have been both good and bad. This is a trademark of a bad team. 1998 is still the Show Me Season for this football\ team. To me, they still look 6-10.
The remaining games of October are critical. The Rams must be competitive against the better teams. Otherwise, the win over the Jets has to be considered simply a fluke.
So fasten your seat belts PSL Holders and Rams' Fans across the area. It ought to be rocky road. Nothing appears to be logical. Perhaps this is parity; Paul Tagliabue/National Football League style!!
By the way, hockey fans: here's a logical puzzle for you: The Blues are undefeated without Brett Hull. They will not have Hull for the entire season, so therefore.....
We'll leave that discussion for another day.
I just have to stop watching all those lawyer shows on television!!!
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