🏈 The Rams Are Right Where They Want To Be

Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams are shining bright at the perfect time. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: The Los Angeles Rams’ run is indicative of a season where staying in the mix is the most important thing ... we take a look at every contender’s chance to win the College Football Playoff ... and Lions running back Adrian Peterson sported a pair of custom-made cleats, which featured a special message to help raise awareness of the food insecurity crisis in America. The Los Angeles Rams have been on a real journey the past couple of weeks, and I’m not talking about their cross-country jaunt to Tampa Bay to see off the Buccaneers on Monday night. In the blink of an eye, the Rams have gone from being seen as an overrated usurper with a padded record to a team worthy of respect, while leaping to the top of the NFC West and morphing into a group few would relish meeting in the postseason. Two weeks, especially if they include a pair of your most impressive and important wins of the campaign, can do that for you in this year’s NFL, where consistency is the preserve of a mere handful of teams and the chance to change your reputation is there for nearly everyone to grasp. Back at the midpoint of this month, L.A. was at 5-3, with none of those victories particularly impressive. Four of them had come against the occupants of the NFC East, a division that continues to write the definitive chapter on collective incompetence. The other was against the Bears, which started Chicago on a four-game skid. [STORY IMAGE 1] It was a flimsy resume and it showed. The Rams were playing with little sparkle or confidence and with the NFC West race so tight, there was every chance they would come out on the wrong end of the tussle. And then, things turned. A divisional triumph against the Seattle Seahawks was followed by that comprehensive display when visiting the Bucs - where the ultimate sign that things had gone well came when Tom Brady declined to shake Jared Goff’s hand - and the uplift is real. “Personally, I like to be the underdog because I think it is a little bit more fun to shut people up, Goff told reporters. “But as a team mentality we don’t care what people think about us or say about us. It is exciting and it is hopefully the beginning of an uphill trajectory at this point.” The Rams are underdogs no longer. Heading into this Sunday’s game with the San Francisco 49ers at 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX ([Rams -6.5, per FOX Bet]( they occupy the No. 4 spot on numerous power rankings from national publications, behind the undisputed big three of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints. [STORY IMAGE 2] In terms of productivity, strength and having the look of a potential champion, no one is close to the Steelers, Chiefs and Saints. Yet to get to the top of the secondary pile just behind them doesn’t take perfection, just the right form at the right moment. The NFC West race remains close and will be largely decided when the protagonists meet each other over the closing weeks of the season. Four of the Rams remaining six games are against divisional rivals. The Rams are the favorites to win the competitive NFC West, [listed at +100, per FOX Bet]( … and are well placed for the challenge. It remains quite possible that the division sends three of its teams to the postseason. “We came into the year knowing every team got a little bit better and that every team is going to be good in a tough game,” Goff said of the rest of the NFC West. “These division games are the ones you need. The 49ers have (beaten) us three in a row now so hopefully we can buck that trend in this game.” There is a lot to like about what the Rams have been doing lately. The defense has long been a strength, but Goff has gotten things moving on the other side of the ball and serious numbers from Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods – both rewarded with big offseason contracts – have been transformative. On Monday, Kupp and Woods both recorded more than 10 catches and 100 yards, a team first. [STORY IMAGE 3] More is expected from Aaron Donald, after the two-time NFL defensive player of the year was unable to record a sack or a tackle for the past two games, while voicing his displeasure at the officiating in each matchup. “In my opinion the (offensive line) holds on every play,” Donald said. “(On Monday) there were some blatant holds that we didn’t get the call for.” Donald’s grumbles notwithstanding, the Rams are right where they want to be. They are just one game behind the Saints in the NFC overall standings and with four home games remaining (they have yet to lose at SoFi Stadium) taking aim at a top two seed is a reasonable goal. [STORY IMAGE 4] The Rams’ run is indicative of a season where staying in the mix is the most important thing. Fourteen teams will make the postseason and sustained excellence is not a prerequisite for being a contender. L.A. has generated an opportunity and forced its way into a position of relevance. It has been far from a perfect season, but it hasn’t had to be. This, of all NFL years, is not your typical time. More important than being flashy is to be timely, and with their recent surge, the Rams might just find themselves on the right side of the clock. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Colin Cowherd, The Herd: “They dominated the Bucs. I think their secondary is the best in the league. Jalen Ramsey is so valuable in that division against DK Metcalf and DeAndre Hopkins. That’s such a smart pickup. What aren’t they good at? Their secondary was an issue two years ago, and it now is a team strength.” Gary Klein, LA Times: “For several weeks the timing seemed off. The hallmarks of a Rams passing offense that relied on the catch-and-run skills of receivers Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp were curiously absent. That no longer appears to be a problem. The Rams will go into Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium with growing confidence and momentum after quarterback Jared Goff and his top receivers regained their rhythm.” Cameron DaSilva, [Ramswire.com]( “The Rams’ rise up the NFC standings has been impressive and it may not be done yet. After Week 11, the Rams are currently second in the conference, holding the No. 2 seed in the playoff picture. There’s a huge advantage that comes with earning the top seed this year, because it’s the only spot that gets a first-round bye. In years past, the top two seeds skipped straight to the divisional round. This year, all but one team in each conference will play on wild-card weekend.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - [Farrell Evans of The Undefeated]( tells the story of Tiger Woods and the complicated history of being the symbol of racial progress. - Patrick Mahomes has already ascended to the apex of his sport on both an individual and team level. [The Ringer’s Rany Jazayerli]( writes that the Chiefs’ QB is no longer just a phenom. He’s the GOAT in the making. - With just a few weeks remaining before College Football Playoff Selection Day, only a few programs truly control their own destiny. [ESPN’s Seth Walder]( takes a look at every contender’s chance to win the CFP if they win out. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( The Detroit Lions didn’t come away with the result they had hoped for in Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Houston Texans. However, Lions running back Adrian Peterson shined bright, regardless of his team’s performance. The future Hall of Famer sported a pair of custom-made cleats, which featured a special message to help raise awareness of the food insecurity crisis in America. Peterson and his family donated 100,000 meals to Gleaners Community Food Bank with the help of Feeding America. Well done, AP! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Friday Night SmackDown (FOX, 8 p.m. ET) What’s next for Roman Reigns and his bloodline? Find out this Friday on SmackDown. Ohio State at Illinois (Saturday, FS1, 12 p.m. ET) Justin Fields and the No. 4-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Illinois Fighting Illini. Auburn at Alabama (Saturday, CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET) Bo Nix and the Auburn Tigers take on Mac Jones and the No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots (Sunday, FOX, 1 p.m. ET) Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals battle Cam Newton and the New England Patriots. San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (Sunday, FOX, 4:05 p.m.) Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams host the San Francisco 49ers in a much-anticipated NFC West showdown. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( In two of the last three weeks, we’ve seen some of the worst teams in the NFL start to turn a corner when it comes to covering the spread. Will that trend continue this week, when fans have a chance to win $100,000 absolutely for free [in the FOX Super 6 NFL Challenge]( Here are the FOX Super 6 games for Week 12 and Jason McIntyre’s predictions for each: Vikings by 4-6 points vs. Panthers Cardinals by 1-3 points vs. Patriots Dolphins by 10-12 points vs. Jets Falcons by 1-3 points vs. Raiders Giants by 7-9 points vs. Bengals Saints by 13+ points vs. Broncos [WHAT THEY SAID] “Life is TEN percent what happens to you, and NINETY percent how you respond to it.” — Lou Holtz [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2020 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. 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