Streaking Rams highlight 5 teams the NFL shouldn’t sleep on

Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead compared his team’s 4-4 mark to the middle of a 17-round boxing match with two months left to see how things pan out.

“What you did in the past doesn’t matter,” Snead said. “Now it’s going to be like you basically do every subsequent round.”

How the Rams and every other NFL team perform over the next eight weeks will determine the overall success of their season. For the Rams, they can look to last year’s impressive winning streak, which saw them win seven of their last eight games and reach the playoffs, for inspiration on how to approach the second half of the season.

The Rams join the Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys – yes, the Cowboys – as teams that could make a breakthrough this season, making things interesting for the rest of the league .

Let’s take a look at each team’s situation at halftime.

Los Angeles Rams (4-4)

Los Angeles is 1.5 games behind the Green Bay Packers (6-3) for the final wild card spot in the NFC, but just a half game behind the Arizona Cardinals (5-4) for the top spot in the NFC West and one automatic backlog berth in the off-season.

The Rams started 3-6 last season but got hot and made the playoffs. And head coach Sean McVay is again relying on a young squad, led by 16 rookies who are playing in the top league, who have adjusted to the NFL speed and are playing at a high level. First- and second-year players combined for 15 defensive sacks for the NFL-leading Rams.

[RELATED: Jayden Daniels, Rams’ NFL-best class highlight midseason All-Rookie Team]

Five of LA’s last nine games have come at home, and only four of those have come against playoff teams from last season. Four of the team’s remaining opponents have winning records.

The Rams are also recovering. Puka Nacua returned from a knee injury at the start of the season. And reinforcements on the offensive line are expected to return: center Jonah Jackson, guard Steven Avila and tackle Joe Noteboom.

[RELATED: Puka Nacua among 5 key returning players for teams chasing playoffs]

Cincinnati Bengals (4-6)

After playing tough football again to start this year’s season, Joe Burrow has acted like an MVP candidate and helped his Bengals fight their way back into the postseason conversation. At 4-6, the Bengals are 1.5 games out of the final wild card spot in the AFC behind the Denver Broncos (5-4).

Even after a heartbreaking 35-34 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, Cincinnati has won three of its last five games. Burrow tested the Bengals. Since Week 5, he has thrown for 1,694 yards and 17 touchdowns with just three interceptions.

LSU colleague Ja’Marr Chase is delivering elite production as Cincinnati’s No. 1 receiver. Against the Ravens on Thursday, Chase had 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Entering the weekend, he now leads the league in yards (981) and touchdowns (10).

If the Bengals can get more consistency out of defense, they will be in the hunt for the playoffs.

Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)

There are three reasons why the arrow is pointing up for the Bolts as they seek their first postseason win since the 2018 season. No. 1 is quarterback Justin Herbert, who finally looks fully healthy and has taken over the offense.

Due to the emphasis on the running game, Herbert had an efficient season statistically, completing 65% of his passes for 1,725 ​​yards, with 10 touchdown passes and one interception for a 101.6 rating. Herbert has attempted at least 15 passes without an interception in six straight games, setting the record for the longest such streak in franchise history.

Second, new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter somehow turned one of the league’s worst defenses into one of the best under former head coach and defensive guru Brandon Staley – and did so with mostly the same personnel.

And finally, the Chargers have a real head coach in Jim Harbaugh who has been in the winner’s circle before. During his first season as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh led them to a 13-3 record and a postseason berth.

He’s on a similar path with the Chargers. I thought the Bolts should have gotten a big-play receiver for Herbert before the trade deadline. But I also understand that you can’t stunt the growth of young receivers Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey by adding a big name to this group.

New York Jets (3-6)

Newcomer Davante Adams said this week that he was getting a “run-the-table vibe” from quarterback Aaron Rodgers after the Jets ended a five-game losing streak with a comeback win over the Houston Texans.

Can the Jets make it for the second time in a row on Sunday against the Cardinals? While Arizona sacked Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams eight times in a blowout home win, the Cardinals are giving up 228 passing yards per contest, ranking 24th in the league. The Jets also head into this weekend’s contest rested after playing on Thursday last week.

As for the rest of the season, New York will only play two teams that have a winning record in their last eight games – the Cardinals on Sunday and the Buffalo Bills in the second-to-last game of the season.

Even if the Jets turn things around, it could be too late for the postseason. But hitting .500 could be enough to keep Rodgers and perhaps interim coach Jeff Ulbrich next season.

Will the Jets have a revival?

Dallas Cowboys (3-5)

Okay, listen to me.

I know the Cowboys have lost three in a row, and taking development receiver Jonathan Mingo as a fourth-round pick doesn’t exactly spell a losing season. Additionally, Dak Prescott could miss significant time with a hamstring injury.

However, backup Cooper Rush has a 5-1 record as a starter dating back to the start of the 2022 season, when Prescott was also injured. OK, the Cowboys had one of the most opportunistic defenses at the time and a running back in Tony Pollard who provided balance on offense.

But the Cowboys are playing four of their next five games at home, which is a good thing — except Dallas is 0-3 at home so far this season.

Can Cooper Rush pull off an upset for the Cowboys against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles?

The only thing I think the Cowboys can lean on is head coach Mike McCarthy’s experience dealing with adversity. Additionally, the team’s best defensive player, Micah Parsons, could return from an ankle injury this week. Parsons said he believes Dallas can still make a breakthrough based on Rush’s performance as a starter so far. And according to The Athletic, the Cowboys have the eighth-easiest schedule for the second half of the season.

If they can refocus on the running game, take care of the football on offense and take the ball away on defense, the Cowboys can at least make things interesting down the stretch.

Eric D. Williams has covered and covered the NFL for more than a decade Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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