4-Down Territory: Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams took a step towards being a Super Bowl contender during last season. They went 11-5, winning the NFC West crown. Though they lost to the Atlanta Falcons in a home NFC Wild Card match, the Rams have a lot to look forward to. They finished with the number one ranking in points scored per game (29.9), they were 10th in total yards per game (361.5), 10th in passing yards per game (239.4) and eighth in rushing yards per game (122.1).

However, on the defensive side of the ball, the Rams struggled. Their defense was ranked 19th in total yards allowed (5,434), mostly coming from their poor run-stopping ability. Out of 32 teams, the Rams finished with the fifth worst rush defense (1,959). Luckily for them, they have done a couple of things that can remedy the situation.

1st Down: How scary is the Ndamukong Suh signing for opposing offenses?

The simple answer is that it is extremely scary. Suh has put fear into the hearts of NFL offensive backfields for the past eight seasons. Imagine this, the Rams just added a defensive tackle that has 51.5 career sacks. Many defensive ends cannot do what Suh does.

More importantly, Los Angeles has Aaron Donald to pair with Suh. That’s two of the most accomplished defensive linemen in the league playing alongside one another. Donald has 39.0 career sacks. So between the two, the Rams should get a heavy amount of pressure on the quarterback.

2nd Down: Do the Rams have the best cornerback corps in the NFL?

On paper, yes. They have Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Sam Shields and Nickell Robey-Coleman. If Shields can stay healthy (concussions), then the Rams will have added to a pass defense that was already ranked 13th in the NFL (3,475) and had the sixth most interceptions in the league (18).

3rd Down: Is Sean McVay the best coach in the division?

This is a very tough question to answer and the debate could go on forever. However, McVay won the NFC West in his first year as a head coach, he led his offense to a massive turnaround and saw the development of his second-year quarterback. Not to mention, McVay has done this at the ripe age of 32 - an age that is younger than many players in the NFL.

Currently, McVay’s direct competition is Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks. Though Carroll has one a Super Bowl and has controlled the division for years, it could be McVay’s turn to take over the reigns if the Rams can continue to progress as they have.

4th Down: Will Jared Goff take the next step towards superstardom?

I was big fan of Goff in college. He had quick release, he read the field and he made most of the right throws. However, when he left Cal and was drafted with the number one selection of the 2016 NFL Draft, Goff struggled mightily and didn’t become a starter until later on in the season. He played in just seven games during the 2016 season, losing each one. To add fuel to the fire, he had just a 54.6% completion rate and threw more interceptions (7) than he touchdowns (5).

Goff bounced back immensely from his disastrous rookie campaign. The second-year man had a 62.1% completion rate, 3,804 passing yards and a 28-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also had a 100.5 passer rating. If Goff can continue at that pace, he has the ability to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He just needs to show if he’s consistent enough to make it happen and take the Rams to the Super Bowl.

Follow Kyle on Twitter @KyleAndrews1994