St Louis Rams 2011 Schedule: Power Ranking Their 13 Opponents
Heading into the 2011 season, there will not be a single team that plays a schedule tougher than the St Louis Rams'.
Of course, the whole analysis of their schedule is simply on paper. Injuries, trades, free agency and other unpredictable variables could weaken this schedule. At the same time, those variables could further strengthen the schedule, putting the Rams in the situation of being extreme underdogs week in and week out.
That being said, where do the Rams face their toughest test? Who will provide some sort of "break" for them in the 2011 season?
Time to rank all 13 of their opponents in 2011 from worst to first. To the list!
13. Arizona Cardinals
1 of 13
Matchup
Week 9 at Arizona
Week 12 at St Louis
Evaluation
Heading into 2011, the Cardinals are filled with question marks.
Who will play quarterback for them? Max Hall and John Skelton were largely ineffective last year and veteran Derek Anderson showed enough inconsistency that it'd be difficult to see them sticking with him for the long haul.
At the same time, the ground game in Arizona needs a lot of help. Chris "Beanie" Wells is yet to develop into the premiere back they thought they were selecting in 2009, and Wells has shown little signs of being that premiere back anytime soon.
The defense also struggled, although that may be attributed to the fact that they spent a large portion of 2010 on the field because of the offensive struggles. Regardless, until they learn how to shut down the pass or be more consistent against the run, they won't be a feared unit at all.
12. Washington Redskins
2 of 13
Matchup
Week 4 at St Louis
Evaluation
Much like the Cardinals, the Redskins have everyone guessing about their quarterback situation heading into the season.
Donovan McNabb showed last season he can still be an explosive playmaker at times (keywords, at times). However, he lacked consistency, durability, and, according to head coach Mike Shanahan, a grasp of the two-minute playbook.
Is Rex Grossman the quarterback of the future? Probably not, but he did come on nicely at the end of the season. It isn't known whether this team will look to draft a quarterback this season either, so only time will tell who is under center for them in 2011.
When they aren't passing, it appears they'll be relying on the duo of Ryan Torain and Keiland Williams. A formidable duo that caused problems for some teams last season.
Defensively, this team is a mess. Their ability to stop the run is almost as bad as their ability to stop the pass. The offseason addition OJ Atogwe should help, but the Redskins still have plenty of holes.
11. Cincinnati Bengals
3 of 13
Matchup
Week 15 at St Louis
Evaluation
Unless Carson Palmer is the greatest bluffer known to mankind, the Bengals don't have a quarterback heading into 2011. Dan LeFevour and Jordan Palmer are the only other quarterbacks on their roster and neither of those names will be scaring any defenses away.
Running back Cedric Benson remains a force on offense, rushing for over 1,100 yards last season.
Chad Ochocinco remains a matchup problem, but unless the Bengals find a competent passer to get the ball to him, he'll struggle to make an impact this season.
Defensively, the Bengals should be adequately normal next season. They'll by no means dominate, but they won't get blown out either.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
10. San Francisco 49ers
4 of 13
Matchup
Week 13 at San Francisco
Week 17 at St Louis
Evaluation
The 49ers have a few holes to fill before they become a serious contender in the NFC West. Quarterback Alex Smith will most likely find himself in a 49er uniform once again next season, and as long as Smith is under center, the 49ers' offense isn't going to be terribly good.
Frank Gore remains a big-time threat in the running game, Michael Crabtree has all the tools to have a breakout season, and new coach Jim Harbaugh's previous teams have excellent offensive track records.
The Patrick Willis-led defense should have an even better season in 2011. Their main problem in 2010 was their passing defense, allowing several big games by opposing quarterbacks.
As long as their front seven remains one of the better seven in football however, the defense should be able to keep them in most games throughout 2011.
9. Cleveland Browns
5 of 13
Matchup
Week 10 at Cleveland
Evaluation
The Browns are in the middle of a promising rebuilding process. Running back Peyton Hillis emerged last season as the future of Cleveland's offense. Quarterback Colt McCoy and his ridiculously accurate arm provides a game manager that Cleveland hasn't had since Derek Anderson had a similar breakout season a few years ago.
The defense still has a ways to go. Allowing 130 rushing yards per game, the Browns need to find a run stopper soon.
8. Seattle Seahawks
6 of 13
Matchup
Week 11 at St Louis
Week 14 at Seattle (MNF)
Evaluation
Seattle heads into the second year of the Pete Carroll-era as the favorite to win the NFC West.
An offense reignited by the addition of Marshawn Lynch, Seattle will be led by either Matt Hasselbeck or Charlie Whitehurst in 2011, depending on how the aging Hasselbeck's body holds up in his 13th season.
Justin Forsett and Leon Washington are two other dangerous threats outside of Lynch on the ground game, and the trio should give plenty of team fits.
Defensively the Seahawks should be an interesting case. There were times last season where the defense showed signs of turning a corner, only to be blown out the following week.
If the defense can hold up, the Seahawks should have a very respectable season.
7. Dallas Cowboys
7 of 13
Matchup
Week 7 at Dallas
Evaluation
The Cowboys have a lot to look forward to in the new season. The team showed signs of life under new head coach Jason Garrett, and with Tony Romo returning from injury, there is plenty of reason to be excited in Dallas.
The Cowboys have an adequate defense. It isn't great, but it's adequate. The defense won't be shutting any teams down by any means, but they will be holding their own every week and keeping games close.
The offense is overflowing with potential. With Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Roy Williams, Miles Austin, Marion Barber, Felix Jones and others, this Cowboy offense has weapons galore that are going to provide plenty of headaches for teams in 2011.
6. New York Giants
8 of 13
Matchup
Week 2 at New York
Evaluation
The Giants are one of the few teams in football that doesn't have a weak spot.
Their offensive game is a balanced attack of Eli Manning, Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Steve Smith and plenty others.
On defense the Giants boast one of the better defenses in football thanks to having arguably the best defensive-line in the league. Surrendering just slightly over 300 yards/game, the Giants should cause plenty of trouble for teams.
5. New Orleans Saints
9 of 13
Matchup
Week 8 at St Louis
Evaluation
The Saints looked hungover all of 2010. Whether it was them being content with one Lombardi Trophy or simply not being able to adjust to injuries, the Saints couldn't muster the magic that led them to glory in 2009.
Regardless, the Saints have enough offensive firepower to return to dominance in 2011, especially with the breakout of running-back Chris Ivory. Drew Brees has enough weapons in the passing game to continue to play like Drew Brees, meaning you can expect to see him have another Pro Bowl season.
Defense is a whole different story. New Orleans struggled to shut down anyone last season in the passing game and looked incredibly vulnerable as a unit overall on multiple occasions. How the defense plays in 2011 will determine everything about this team. As of right now, it's holding them back.
4. Baltimore Ravens
10 of 13
Matchup
Week 3 at St Louis
Evaluation
The Ravens will once again boast one of the league's best defenses in 2011. Led by Ray Lewis, Baltimore will count on their defense to keep games low-scoring and manageable for their developing offense.
Joe Flacco has been a solid game manager ever since being drafted in 2008. With Flacco under center, the Ravens aren't going to put up mind-blowing numbers, but they will be consistently putting up respectable amounts of points.
If Ray Rice continues to improve, the Ravens could be looking at a big 2011 season.
3. Philadelpia Eagles
11 of 13
Matchup
Week 1 at St Louis
Evaluation
The Eagles will head into 2011 as one of the favorites to win the NFC East, the NFC and possibly the Super Bowl.
Armed with weapons such as Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin, the Eagles have an offense filled to the brim with playmakers.
Slowing down the Eagles will be near impossible in 2011. Do you contain Vick? Do you drop back and defend the deep ball to Jackson?
Their defense isn't spectacular, but it's strong enough to hold up and keep them in games week in and week out.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
12 of 13
Matchup
Week 16 at Pittsburgh
Evaluation
The Steelers head into 2011 as the favorite to win the AFC. Having a top-five defense and top-10 offense is a dangerous combination that should give them the advantage over any team they play.
On defense, the Steelers don't have much of a weakness. Names such as Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Aaron Smith and many more lead one of the scariest defensive units in all of football.
Offensively, they are led by a balanced attack of Ben Roethlisberger and Rashard Mendenhall. The passing and running games aren't elite, but they are both incredibly dangerous. The Steelers are primed for a trip back to the Super Bowl in 2011.
1. Green Bay Packers
13 of 13
Matchup
Week 6 at Green Bay
Evaluation
No one can argue against the Packers for No. 1 overall. This was a team that won the Super Bowl despite not having their starting running back and elite tight end for a large majority of the season.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has emerged as arguably the best quarterback in football, is armed to the teeth with weapons. Greg Jennings, James Jones and Jordy Nelson are some of the many adequate receivers Rodgers has the luxury of tossing the ball to.
The defense is equally loaded with playmakers at every level of the field.
If they retain James Jones and have Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley make a complete recovery, they'll likely return to the Super Bowl in 2011.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")