If you've read my often long-winded stuff, you know that I like what we're doing. I like McVay, I like Goff, I think the offense is authentically solid or better, and I think the defense is capable of doing better. I think we will win our share of games this year and could possibly contend for a WC or the Div crown. Things are looking up.
But.
I don't have that '99 feeling. I vividly recall the night before the SF game when we broke the evil streak. I KNEW we were really, really good. I KNEW we were going to beat SF. I KNEW that when people cited our weak schedule they were talking out of their hats. I don't know if I can say I KNEW we would win a ring, but I KNEW we were good enough to do that.
So, OK. Sunday we play Dallas. I see lots of guys on the board all but expecting a road win. And I'm just not there. I don't have that sense of KNOWING how good we are.
I am not saying we can't win. We might. We have some advantages, I think. That offense of ours ... it MIGHT be good enough to carry us ...
But I just don't know. I don't actually think we have SEEN real evidence of emerging glory on offense. Capability? Yes. Competence? Of course. Signs of emerging excellence? You bet. ... But real glory ala '99? I don't know that we have seen that yet.
And that's OK! This is not a complaint or even an attempt to put a ceiling on what we might do this year. We MIGHT go on a steady upward trajectory and be genuinely excellent by, say, Week 12. I am very content, happy, ecstatic over the progress that McVay & Co. are making so far. It's all great.
But, I dunno. Yesterday, someone in a thread warned about getting too pumped up. And someone else posted a rejoinder entitled "Why?"
Well, that gets back to individual fan psychology. I'm an emotionally scarred old Ram fan who does not like to get ahead of things because the belly flop hurts. Other guys embrace the ecstasy of anticipating glory and don't mind hitting the concrete when the dream collapses.
In the end, I'd say 2 things:
1. Objectively speaking, we have not yet SHOWN that we have the chops to go on the road and win a game like the one on Sunday. To see us doing so, you have to optimistically project from what we've accomplished to date.
2. I'm a beat up old fan who is not emotionally comfortable getting ahead of where the team demonstrably is.
For me, it's not '99 and I don't really expect it will be.
