When the Rams last saw the Coliseum in early October, the carry-over skepticism from their woeful 4-12 record in 2016 still lingered ominously in Los Angeles.
The Rams distributed 60,745 tickets to their game against the Seattle Seahawks five weeks ago, of which 55,000 were probably used. Not a terrible crowd in the whole scheme of the NFL, but certainly not where the Rams hoped to be their second season back in L.A.
It was understandable given the horrific product the Rams fielded last year. After anxiously waiting 21 years to finally get the NFL back – and their very own Rams to boot – much of Los Angeles took one look at the hot mess Jeff Fisher ran out onto the field last year and declared: “Oh hell no.”
Check back with me when you have a good team, many said, choosing instead to watch from home rather than pay big money to support a bad product.
Others promised they’d come out when the new stadium in Inglewood opens in 2020, turned off by the game-day experience of the 92-year-old Coliseum.
Provided the Rams had improved the product, of course.
And who could blame them?
“This is L.A., you have to show a little more for them to really come out and support,” Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers.
Added linebacker Alec Ogletree: “This is a production league. Fans want to see you win. They want to support a winning team. That’s just the expectation out here.”
The Rams fell woefully short on those expectations last year. And it cost them.
But that was then, this is now.
And it’s on L.A. to now respond accordingly. The way any city would for a team as good as the Rams are right now.
They triumphantly return home on Sunday after sweeping a three-game swing outside of Los Angeles that pushed their record to 6-2 – their best start since 2001 – and alone in first place in the NFC West.
By every measure, they are an exciting, compelling powerhouse. A team any fanbase in the NFL would happily embrace.
But especially Los Angeles, which historically opens its hearts and arms to the kind pizazz and dazzle and charisma the Rams now offer.
They have the best offense in the NFL – pummeling opponents to the tune of 32.9 points per game. They have one of the best young quarterbacks in the game in Jared Goff, who has silenced his first-year critics by throwing for 2,030 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 60.2 percent of his passes.
And he’s operating in an offensive system composed by hotshot young coach Sean McVay, who in nine short months has emerged as one of the most impressive coaches to come down the pike in years.
Todd Gurley has re-established himself as one of the best running backs in the league. The wide receiver group of Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp is deep and versatile and explosive.
The defense is giving up just 19.4 points per game, tied for ninth-best in the NFL.
The special teams unit is the best in the NFL.
Take a good, honest look around the NFL. Does anyone have all their bases covered as well as the Rams, who are among the best offensively, defensively, special teams and on the coaching sideline?
It’s amazing, really.
In one one the great transformations in NFL history, the Rams have done almost the unthinkable.
From the depths of football purgatory they’ve risen up as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Now it’s on L.A. to provide the backing they deserve.
The Rams set their Coliseum capacity at 65,000 this year – with some wiggle room to go to 70,000. It was their response to the logistical difficulties of comfortably accommodating the 80,000 to 90,000 that packed the 93-year-old stadium last year.
As well as the Rams are playing – and the high stakes involved over the next eight weeks – there is no reason all 65,000 tickets shouldn’t be gobbled up and used.
That would be the case in any market in the NFL.
You’d think it would be the case in L.A.
The Rams hope it is.
But it’s a guarded optimism.
“I’m expecting the fans that are always there to be there,” Brockers said. “But I’m not really expecting anything more.”
And why is that?
“We really haven’t been too good (over the years),” he said candidly.
Brockers has been with the Rams since 2012. Coming into this season the overall record over that period was 31-48-1. That’s not exactly a persuasive argument to make to any fanbase.
“And I think that’s the case with any team,” Brockers said. “When your team isn’t doing very good you’re not going to have as many followers.”
Let alone in the notoriously fickle Los Angeles, which the Rams abandoned for more than two decades while calling St. Louis home.
Only to come back last year and take a complete nosedive fielding one of the worst teams in the NFL.
“You have to win games to get fans to come. They want to see a winning team. And that’s on us,” said Ogletree.
Eight games in, mission accomplished. The Rams have made a riveting case for themselves as a must-see product.
You’d think it’s enough to grab the attention of greater Los Angeles and create a powerful home field advantage as they make their second half playoff push.
You’d think, anyway.
“We’ve got to just continue to focus on trying to deliver a good product to this city and hopefully the fans will come up and support us,” said McVay.
The Rams have done their part.
Now it’s on L.A. to respond accordingly.