Every year, around this time, I find myself in the same position: ready for football season to begin and enthusiastic about the Rams’ chances at finally making the playoffs.  It’s been rough for Rams fans in the last decade.  We haven’t made the playoffs since 2004, and Rams fans have seen some of the worst NFL teams in history over the last ten years.

When I first became a Rams fan, the team was at rock bottom.  In the span of five seasons, from 2007-2011, the Rams won 15 games and lost 65.  The “Greatest Show on Turf” days were long gone, and Rams fans suffered through agonizing defeats, and many fans seemed to lose interest in their once beloved team.

Now, the future seems brighter.

I think the current Rams roster seems poised to be the most competitive team in a decade.  There is lots of young talent on the team, and there seems to be an exciting buzz throughout the city.  Now, I am one of the most optimistic Rams fans you’ll find.  Every year since the Sam Bradford era began in 2010, I’ve told all my friends and family that this is the year the Rams finally make the playoffs.

Well, now August has come again, and football season is just weeks away, (thank God!), and here I am again, saying this is the year the Rams will play football in January.

Now, I’m not saying this feat will be easy to accomplish.  The Rams have one of the toughest schedules in the league.  We are in what is undoubtedly the most competitive division in football, and we must face the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, two times, and face twice their worthy opponent from last year’s NFC Championship, the San Francisco 49ers.

We have shown, however, that we are capable of beating these teams.  In 2012, we beat both of these teams at home, and tied the 49ers on the road.  Last year we lost all four games against these teams, but were one yard from beating the Seahawks on Monday Night Football, and we did not have our starting quarterback for the entire game.

The only hope the Rams have for making the playoffs, I feel, is if the Rams get the second wild card spot.  Seattle and San Francisco will both easily make the playoffs, and the Eagles, Packers, and Saints, should not have too much trouble winning their respective divisions.  That leaves just one more NFC playoff spot, and lots of competitive teams to battle it out.  If the Rams want to make the playoffs, their record must be better than those of the Cardinals, the Panthers, the Bears, and the Cowboys, all of whom went at least 8-8 last season.  Teams such as the Falcons, Lions, and Giants also have a decent shot at the postseason.  There is quite the competition in the NFC, and I think if the Rams are to make the playoffs, they must go at least 10-6.  Here is how they can do it:

Week 1 vs Vikings-Win

Week 2 @ Buccaneers-Win

Week 3 vs Cowboys-Win

Week 4  Bye

Week 5 @ Eagles-Loss

Week 6 vs 49ers- Loss

Week 7 vs Seahawks-Loss

Week 8 @ Chiefs-Win

Week 9 @ 49ers-Loss

Week 10 @ Cardinals-Win

Week 11 vs Broncos-Loss

Week 12 @ Chargers-Win

Week 13 vs Raiders-Win

Week 14 @ Redskins-Win

Week 15 vs Cardinals-Win

Week 16 vs Giants- Win

Week 17 @ Seahawks- Loss

Again, this is a very optimistic take on what the Rams are capable of doing this year, but I do feel like they could be able to go 10-6 and clinch their first playoff berth since 2004.  There is some mad talent on this Rams team.  Let’s take a look at the roster.

Offense: This is a huge year for quarterback Sam Bradford.  When he was drafted number 1 overall out of Oklahoma in the 2010 NFL Draft, Bradford was expected to be a star quarterback in the league.  Unfortunately, Sam has been far from a star in the NFL, with many lackluster performances, and a few great games here and there.  Last year, a torn ACL left him on the sideline for more than half the season, but he has fully recovered, and should be able to bounce back this year.  He has shown lots of potential, and I still believe he can emerge into a top quarterback in the NFL.  Bradford has assets this year he has never had in his previous four years with the Rams: a high caliber offensive line to support him and some very talented receivers to throw to.

Jake Long is a pro bowl left tackle, who can help to protect Bradford, along with this year’s number 2 overall pick, Greg Robinson, an offensive tackle/guard out of Auburn who is a giant.  Re-signing veteran offensive lineman Roger Saffold will also benefit the Rams offense.

Not a single wide receiver on the Rams roster was on the team in Bradford’s rookie season, but every receiver on this year’s team has at least one year of experience.  The Rams offense should be more cohesive this season, as all the receivers really seem to understand Brian Schottenheimer’s offense, and recognize their role on the team.

Last year’s rookie sensation Tavon Austin will shine brightly this season, as he will use his extreme speed to his advantage, posing as a big threat to defenders, and finding the end zone more than double the amount of times last year.

Stedman Bailey is an absolute stud.  Bailey, who went to the University of West Virginia alongside Tavon, actually scored more touchdowns that Austin in college despite having been drafted by the Rams two rounds later.  In the second half of the season, he proved how much potential he really has to become a huge asset to the Rams, and I expect him to have a great second season.

I love the signing of Kenny Britt this off-season.  He was very inconsistent in his seasons with Tennessee, but when he went through hot streaks, Britt was unstoppable.  Britt is certainly not a sure thing, but he has looked great in training camp, and this signing just might be exactly what the Rams needed to bolster their roster with receivers.

As for Brian Quick, I would not expect much out of the “project” from Appalachian State.  He has had a rough first two seasons, and has not lived up to the hype.  Look for Jared Cook and Chris Givens, however, to be benefactors to the Rams offense.  Bradford will have many more weapons this season, and some high scoring games should be expected.  After all, the Rams scored more than 35 points against the Texans, Bears, and Colts, and against all of whom the Rams were the underdogs.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the Rams offense is the running game.  Zac Stacy, selected in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft from Vanderbilt, was a major success last year for St. Louis.  He emerged as the Rams starter at running back within just a few games, and managed to rush for nearly 1000 yards last year.  Stacy has an odd frame for an NFL player.  Though he is only 5’8, he weighs 225 pounds and can power through defense with his size.

Tre Mason, rookie running back from Auburn, is sure to be a spark plug in the Rams’ offense.  Many Mizzou fans watched as he destroyed Missouri’s defense in the SEC Championship, rushing for 306 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Sick.  He is not liked by many NFL scouts, and that is why he fell all the way to the third round, but I expect that he will have some insane runs like he did against Mizzou.

The Stacy-Mason combo should be one of the most dynamic duos of running backs in the league.

Defense:  While the Rams offense is certainly poised to improve, it is the defense that has got everybody talking.  By drafting Aaron Donald, a sack machine out of Pittsburgh to fill the fourth spot of the front four, the Rams created the best defensive line in the league in Chris Long, Michael Brockers, Robert Quinn, and Donald.  The fact that Donald fell to number 13 boggles my mind, as he is clearly one of the most talented rookies in the league.  Watch for him to be the defensive rookie of the year, and for Robert Quinn to be a menace to all quarterbacks for the second straight season, with Long and Brockers having great seasons again.

Even with all this talent from the starters at defensive line, the most compelling story is of a defensive end for the Rams who will not be a starter, Michael Sam, a rookie originally from Texas who went to Mizzou and earned high merits such as Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC.  The SEC is by far the best conference in all of college football, and for Sam to win Defensive Player of the Year among so much other talent in the conference, really says a lot about Sam as a player.

Sam was drafted in the seventh round, but he has the talent to have been drafted in the third or fourth round.  The idea that he could “cause a distraction,” or “disrupt the locker room chemistry,” is simply absurd.  Michael Sam is a good player worthy of making any NFL roster.  He will make the Rams’ roster, and will make an impact on the team.

The Linebackers on the Rams are another solid crew.  James Laurinaitis is a leader on the field and is beloved by Ram Nation.  He, along with Alec Ogletree, first rounder from last year, and Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who despite having off the field problems has shown extreme promise on the field, should make a great set of linebackers to stand behind the best front four in the league.

The front seven will wreak havoc onto opposing offenses, and Gregg Williams, the Rams defensive coordinator known for his aggressive approach with blitzing, will be sending these superstars at opposing quarterbacks like there is no tomorrow.

The Rams’ weakness seems to be their Secondary.  Janoris Jenkins slipped a lot last season after a great year in 2012.  The Rams hope he can bounce back, but flashes of inconsistency would make one think that while Jenkins may make some great plays over the course of the season, he may never become a truly elite cornerback in the league.  TJ McDonald, a safety from USC drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft looked great initially last year, but a season-ending injury kept him off the field for lots of time.

The Rams drafted quite a few defensive backs this May.  Look for rookie CB/S LaMarcus Joyner out of Florida State to be a major factor on this Rams team, and for Maurice Alexander, a Safety and former janitor at Edward Jones Dome to make an impact, as well.

While the Secondary may not be too strong, the front seven are exceptional, the highlight of this Rams team, and a huge force to be reckoned with.

I cannot wait to neglect everything the outside world has to offer besides football on Sundays.  From opening week in September to the Super Bowl in February, you can bet that I will be spending my Sundays either at the Edward Jones Dome cheering on the Rams, or sitting in my foldable Rams chair in my living room, watching the Rams games on tv for hours every single week.  Like millions of other Americans, Sunday is a day where I can put all other worries aside and focus on football.

I really do believe that this is the year I will be watching Rams postseason football for the first in my life.  The Rams have acquired so much talent over the past couple years, and I think this is the year they put everything together.

Rams fans must be cautious with optimism for the upcoming season, knowing to hope for the best, but still expect the worst.  We have been let down many times over the last ten years, and we can’t get our hopes too high.

However, the people who think this season will be just like the last ten are sorely mistaken.  This is a new era in St. Louis Rams football, and it is clear the Rams are a team on the rise, a team who will certainly compete for a playoff spot.

It’s time for St. Louis to Ram Up.

It’s time for Rams fans to believe in their football team again.