Day five of my 2021 NFL countdown begins with my number 16 team the Los Angeles Rams.

We are only three years removed from them being in the Super Bowl. Sean McVay came out of the box with a bang but it looks like the better teams may have figured him out. They also have an almost entirely new roster, especially on offense, from that team that went to the Super Bowl. They traded for Matthew Stafford. I have written about this trade twice now. It is almost a totally even swap. Stafford has a much bigger arm than Jared Goff, but he cannot stay healthy and he has never been further than the first round of the playoffs. He also doesn't have a Calvin Johnson type receiver to just chuck the ball in the air and hope they come down with it. I was kind of stunned when they let Todd Gurley walk a season ago. They paid him big money and they just cut him. They are now left with Darrell Henderson Jr and Xavier Jones. Sure they don't make as much as Gurley did, but had Gurley gotten the proper time to rehab they might now be in this predicament. Robert Woods is a fine receiver, Cooper Kupp is a poor man's Julian Edelmann and Desean Jackson is old. The O line is serviceable. Why the Rams are here, and not somewhere in the 20's is their defense. Aaron Donald is the most dominant player in the NFL. He is the best D lineman I have ever watched. Jalen Ramsey is a world class corner. He is almost as lockdown as Charles Woodson. He is so good. Taylor Rapp is a heat seeking missile and interception machine. Leonard Floyd is a good linebacker. McVay may have gotten this job based on his offensive mind, but the Rams will win with defense. The question is can they win enough to make a playoff push. They feel like an eight win team, but if they win nine games that wouldn't surprise me. Neither would six wins.

My number 15 team is the Minnesota Vikings. First and foremost, Kirk Cousins is a moron. I cannot stand him. At all. He is such a crummy dude, and he is not that good of an NFL QB. He got all that guaranteed money and what do the Vikings have to show for it? 0 playoff wins in two appearances with him as their guy. Dalvin Cook is a very good running back when healthy. He gets hurt far too often, but it does look like he has put in work this offseason to bulk up and try to stay on the field. Justin Jefferson was phenomenal last year. He was a revelation. Adam Thielen is a fine wideout, he is just a bit overrated. Irv Smith is a fine tight end. The O line is fine. The defense has taken steps back every year under Mike Zimmer. Everson Griffin is good, but he has some demons he needs to figure out. Danielle Hunter is an okay D lineman, but maybe he has already played his best football. Patrick Peterson was a good pickup, but he is much older and has kind of fallen off each season. Anthony Barr is okay at linebacker. The Vikings had a teeny tiny window and it looks like they blew it. Until they can move on from Cousins this team is destined to underperform. They are a .500 team at best.

My number 14 team is the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are slowly building some semblance of a playoff contender. They seem to be putting in some kind of work. Derek Carr isn't great but he isn't bad. He needs to just manage the game and minimize mistakes. Josh Jacobs has that look of having a breakout year. The time seems to have come. Hunter Renfrow and Henry Ruggs look to be a solid receiver duo, if Carr can get them the ball. The O line is okay enough to keep the QB upright and open holes for Jacobs. The Raiders have taken big swings on defensive players way early in the draft, but maybe they put it together this year. Clelin Ferrell has shown flashes. Yannick Ngakoue was one of the most coveted free agents a few seasons ago. Maybe he finds his footing again. Trayvon Mullen has the ability to be a good cover corner. So does Johnathan Abram. The Raiders do have some players, but I still do not trust Jon Gruden. I love that they are requiring a negative test or proof of vaccine to come to the games this season though. Maybe the Raiders put it together this year and make a playoff push. I see them as an eight or nine win team.

The final team for the day, and week for that matter, at number 13 is the Los Angeles Chargers. They should still be in San Diego but that is a topic for another day. Justin Herbert kind of shocked me last season. He sat for a bit, but when he came in he looked confident and ready to go. He has a big arm, can see over the line and will listen to coaching. That pick doesn't look so bad a year later. Austin Ekeler has truly proven he deserves the starting running back role this year. He is a very good all around back. Keenan Allen is one of the best route runners in the NFL and he has great hands. Mike Williams is big and physical and when healthy he can do damage. The O line is very good and got better with the addition of Rashawn Slater. The defense has some dudes. Joey Bosa is an asshole, just like his brother, but the dude can play. He has proven that. He's still a dickhead though. Kenneth Murray is a throwback linebacker, and I will thoroughly enjoy watching him play football this season. Derwon James is amazing. He is so good in the secondary. He can do it all. And I like Nasir Adderley. The Chargers have the guys. They should make a playoff push. Hell, they should be in the playoffs. I felt they did not give their past head coach a fair shot, but they moved on. The new coach could reap the rewards of his hard work. The Chargers should win nine games this season. That is it for today and this week.

Come back on Monday for the next four teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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