Rams jump into top 10 of power rankings after statement win vs. Cowboys
It was hard to find any power rankings that had the Rams inside the top 15 this offseason, primarily because of their disappointing 9-7 finish in 2019 and the number of departures they had in the spring. There simply wasn’t much confidence in this team among analysts, leading to lower placements in power rankings.
That changed this week, though. In Touchdown Wire’s first power rankings of the 2020 season, the Rams were slotted inside the top 10 after beating the Cowboys in Week 1. Doug Farrar put them at No. 8, giving the NFC West three teams in the top 10.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Rams christened SoFi Stadium with a 20-17 Sunday night win over the Cowboys. Sean McVay kept Jared Goff close to the sticks to counter what was an impressive Dallas pass rush, and Goff completed 20 of 31 passes for 275 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. It was more about time of possession (the Rams had the ball for 35:38 in the game) and keeping Dallas’ potentially explosive offense off the field. It was also about this HIGHLY questionable offensive pass interference call on Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup late in the game (Jalen Ramsey sold it well), but the Cowboys had other opportunities, and they couldn’t take advantage.
The 49ers were the lowest-ranked NFC West team, coming in at No. 18 in the power rankings. The Cardinals were ranked 10th after knocking off San Francisco, while the Seahawks are No. 4 on the list.
It may not have been a dominant win over the Cowboys, but it was a statement victory for the Rams, nonetheless. The defense held Dallas to only 17 points, while the offense was more balanced with 35 carries by running backs and 31 pass attempts by Jared Goff.
The result was 422 yards of total offense and a 20-17 victory.
It’s a good start for Los Angeles, and it will try to keep things going in Week 2 against the 0-1 Philadelphia Eagles after their loss to Washington in the season opener.
