There were plenty of headlines regarding the Los Angeles Rams heading into the 2017 NFL season. Needless to say, none of them were about the team possibly contending for the playoffs.
However, it is a new era in Rams football — and linebacker Mark Barron wants the rest of the league to know about it. According to ESPN’s Jim Trotter, Barron says it is only a matter of time before critics start giving Los Angeles the respect they deserve:
“If they don’t respect us, they will (eventually). And if they don’t give it to us, we’ll just take it.”
Many of the Rams’ doubters figured that wins over two lackluster teams somehow lessened the improvements they made over the offseason. As a result, Los Angeles went into their Week 4 matchup with Dallas as heavy underdogs.
Despite a rocky start to the game, the Rams stormed back in the second half to pull out a late 35-30 victory. That is not to say that Los Angeles still does not have its doubters. After all, it is tough for a team to earn respect so soon after over a decade of mediocrity. However, it will be tough to deny their legitimacy as playoff contenders for much longer.
