Los Angeles Rams are 3-1 like nobody thought they’d be

It’s definitely safe to say that not a lot of people, if anybody, had the Los Angeles Rams realistically going 3-1 to start the season.

Knowing that the Jared Goff era was really getting underway this season instead of a year ago, the off-season yielded more what-if scenarios than fans and the team probably wanted. There was the what-if about the new rookie head coach, the what-if about Todd Gurley returning to form or not, and then the what-if as to how Jared Goff would handle the weapons around him.

And now, it would appear, we have the answers to that.

Not only have the Rams stormed out of the gate, but they’ve proven that it’s not just a fluff. A year ago, they started 3-1 only to have then-head coach Jeff Fisher guide them to one more win the rest of the way.

This year’s Los Angeles Rams are different, and it’s because all of the what-if scenarios have turned out for the better. Jared Goff has shown poise as the leader of the team while Todd Gurley has also stepped up to take on his share of the offense.

One of the incredible things about Gurley’s part in this strong start is the fact that he’s now become a factor through the air. In his entire first two seasons in the NFL, Gurley had zero catching touchdowns.

He already has three this season through four games, with four rushing touchdowns to pair with it. His performance alongside Goff’s noticeable improvements give the Rams some honest hope to be a contender come playoff time.

Seattle and Arizona are close on the Rams’ tail, remaining just one game back in the standings with a quarter of the season in the books. Los Angeles solidified their legitimacy with the way they handled the top-ranked Dallas Cowboys from a year ago by beating them on the road.

Los Angeles will host the Seahawks in Week 5 and then the Cardinals in Week 7 with a date in Jacksonville in-between. This three game span is the crux of their entire season, as it’s both an opportunity to pull away in their division through winning head-to-head battles and it’ll test Goff’s development against one of the better defenses in the NFL.

Next: Dodgers Won't Have It Easy In NLDS

It’s going to a fun next couple of weeks for the Los Angeles Rams. And it’s nice to see them actually succeed in Los Angeles compared to what they had to deal with last season.