Why we are divisional favorites but it also doesn't matter

[cardncubfan]

2023 $1,892.00

2025 $3,015.00 total

Not double but up 35-40% for exact same 2 seats

59%

 

[football karma]

The Rams were 10-7 last year against a fairly easy schedule in retrospect with the 20th-ranked scoring offense and 17th-ranked scoring defense. They outperformed their expected wins by +2. They are really a PRIME candidate for regression next year.

i think nationally the last memory of the Rams was taking the Eagles to the limit -- so of course, they are favorites.

but, in a game at home that HAD to have just two weeks prior, they were one Trey McBride catch away from blowing it. They are a lot like the Cardinals: capable of highs and capable of real lows. Maybe Devante Adams ignites the offense.

I think its just as likely Stafford hits a wall. The Rams have been awfully ambivalent about him -- allowing him to explore a trade before kissing and making up. I dont think you do that with a QB you are 100% about and with no real alternative on the roster.

 

[Mulli]

i think nationally the last memory of the Rams was taking the Eagles to the limit -- so of course, they are favorites.

but, in a game at home that HAD to have just two weeks prior, they were one Trey McBride catch away from blowing it. They are a lot like the Cardinals: capable of highs and capable of real lows. Maybe Devante Adams ignites the offense.

I think its just as likely Stafford hits a wall. The Rams have been awfully ambivalent about him -- allowing him to explore a trade before kissing and making up. I dont think you do that with a QB you are 100% about and with no real alternative on the roster.

Isn’t it even more likely the the same old Cardinals same old Cardinals again? Every flooping time, it looks like the fortunes of the Charlie Brown of the NFL are about to improve, Lucy pulls the ball away, and fans are left to count moral victories.

 

[kerouac9]

i think nationally the last memory of the Rams was taking the Eagles to the limit -- so of course, they are favorites.

but, in a game at home that HAD to have just two weeks prior, they were one Trey McBride catch away from blowing it. They are a lot like the Cardinals: capable of highs and capable of real lows. Maybe Devante Adams ignites the offense.

I think its just as likely Stafford hits a wall. The Rams have been awfully ambivalent about him -- allowing him to explore a trade before kissing and making up. I dont think you do that with a QB you are 100% about and with no real alternative on the roster.

Yop. No one remembers them getting hammered by 17 at home by Philly the week before Thanksgiving.

Stafford can play at the same level in 2025 as he did in 2024 and effectively match Kyler Murray. I wonder if those weapons develop a little more.

 

[football karma]

Yop. No one remembers them getting hammered by 17 at home by Philly the week before Thanksgiving.

Stafford can play at the same level in 2025 as he did in 2024 and effectively match Kyler Murray. I wonder if those weapons develop a little more.

ive been predicting Rams demise for like 5 years in a row, so instead: They win the division and conference in a runaway.
that said: in both games vs the Rams last year it sure felt like the Cards matched up with them better than they had during the entirety of the McVay tenure. Maybe it was randomness.

 

[602 Native]

Placed my bet on the Cards to win the division already.

Great post C2025 lots of good info and breakdown.

 

[football karma]

Isn’t it even more likely the the same old Cardinals same old Cardinals again? Every flooping time, it looks like the fortunes of the Charlie Brown of the NFL are about to improve, Lucy pulls the ball away, and fans are left to count moral victories.

sure, i guess

my macro view: most of the entirety of the Cardinal fan experience has been about consistently poor roster building, interrupted by brief periods of catching lightning in a bottle. That "interruption" is usually from an outsider getting enough power to influence player acquisition.

What to us looks like a good roster to us is only good relative to what we are used to seeing.

So we get these fragile teams that show promise but dont have enough talent throughout the roster to make it to the finish line.

I hope Monti is different. I am encouraged by the fact that for the first time in 25 years, they have people in the FO making personnel decisions that came from outside the organization.

FWIW: From Bob Ferguson to Rod Graves to Bruce -- there is a strong correlation to outsiders making decisions on the roster and going to the playoffs.

 

[phillycard]

2023 $1,892.00

2025 $3,015.00 total

Not double but up 35-40% for exact same 2 seats

Man Jttsaz, fans like you are the reason we need a SB win. That's disgusting.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Placed my bet on the Cards to win the division already.

Great post C2025 lots of good info and breakdown.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[ajcardfan]

2023 $1,892.00

2025 $3,015.00 total

Not double but up 35-40% for exact same 2 seats

You think those casitas just built themselves?

 

[oaken1]

i think nationally the last memory of the Rams was taking the Eagles to the limit -- so of course, they are favorites.

but, in a game at home that HAD to have just two weeks prior, they were one Trey McBride catch away from blowing it. They are a lot like the Cardinals: capable of highs and capable of real lows. Maybe Devante Adams ignites the offense.

I think its just as likely Stafford hits a wall. The Rams have been awfully ambivalent about him -- allowing him to explore a trade before kissing and making up. I dont think you do that with a QB you are 100% about and with no real alternative on the roster.

I think the Stafford issue was mostly about his wife talking to the media...the threat of having to uproot the family to a new city seems to have garnered a promise to stop

 

[football karma]

I think the Stafford issue was mostly about his wife talking to the media...the threat of having to uproot the family to a new city seems to have garnered a promise to stop

the Rams gave him permission to talk to other teams!

 

[oaken1]

the Rams gave him permission to talk to other teams!

They did. Because his wife kept talking trash to the media

 

[PDXChris]

Screw it! The last time I made an off season bet to win it all was in 2008!

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[AZCB34]

2023 $1,892.00

2025 $3,015.00 total

Not double but up 35-40% for exact same 2 seats

You get a reach around at least?

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Isn’t it even more likely the the same old Cardinals same old Cardinals again? Every flooping time, it looks like the fortunes of the Charlie Brown of the NFL are about to improve, Lucy pulls the ball away, and fans are left to count moral victories.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Jttsaz]

I guess I helped build those Casitas!

 

[daves]

The Athletic's Austin Mock today posted his winners and losers so far this year, relative to last, based on his NFL Projection Model. He listed all 32 teams with their expected points added since the end of 2024, and provided more detailed explanations for the top and bottom 5:

1. Raiders: +35.8
2. Giants: +30.6
3. Patriots: +28.9
4. Colts: 20.9
5. Commanders: +13.2
...
9. Cardinals +4.1
...
13. Rams +2.3
...
28. Seahawks: -23.3

What did you expect after they traded away their starting quarterback and a Pro Bowl-caliber wide receiver? If it’s any consolation to Seahawks fans, it’s impressive they aren’t last on this list. That’s because they replaced Smith and DK Metcalf with Darnold and Cooper Kupp to help offset those losses, while adding Lawrence to their defense. The model is skeptical Darnold can replicate his success from Minnesota, while Kupp and Lawrence are past their primes and have some injury concerns, so it’s no surprise the Seahawks still rank near the bottom.

29. Cowboys: -25.7
30. Eagles: -29.0
31. 49ers: -38.5

This ranking shouldn’t come as a surprise to those tracking San Francisco’s offseason, which has seen a mass exodus of quality players. I already spoke about how much my model likes Ward, but the 49ers also lost Samuel, Jordan Mason, Aaron Banks, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Javon Hargrave, Leonard Floyd, Maliek Collins and Isaac Yiadom, among others. Maybe that’s the price of doing business after paying running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk ahead of of a new contract for quarterback Brock Purdy, but the 49ers are in the middle of a transitional period, and the state of their roster shows it.

32. Jets: -51.5