Rams just might turn NFC West on its head

SEAHAWKS AT RAMS

Time: 3: 05 p. m. Line: Rams by 1. Total: 44 ½ . Records ( overall/ ATS): Seahawks 2- 2/ 1- 3; Rams 3- 1/ 2- 2.

Are the Rams for real? It’s not quite the Greatest Show on Turf, but the sudden emergence of the once- lowly Rams is similar to 1999, when thenunknown Kurt Warner turned the Rams into an almost unstoppable juggernaut.

This time it’s the very well- known Jared Goff in the Warner role, and the results are equally impressive. The Rams entered Week 5 leading the NFL in scoring ( 35.5 points per game) after finishing last in scoring last season ( 14.0). That’s actually a bigger jump than the Warner- led Rams, who averaged a league- best 32.9 points per game after ranking 24th in 1998 at 17.8.

Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, had a 63.6 passer rating as a rookie ( five touchdowns, seven interceptions). Through four weeks this season under new coach Sean McVay, Goff led the NFL in yards per attempt ( 9.2) and was third in passer rating ( 112.6), with seven touchdowns and only one interception.

It remains to be seen if Goff ’s Rams can sustain their success like Warner’s did in 1999, but this week could be telltale. The Seahawks have been the gold standard in the NFC West for the last five seasons. They love a challenge. If they can’t stop Goff & Co., there might actually be a changing of the guard in the division.

The Rams were a thorn to the Seahawks even when the Seahawks were on top and the Rams at the bottom. Seattle was 5- 5 straight up/ 3- 7 against the spread the previous five seasons. Now the Rams are favorites for the first time since 2011. They look capable of handling the pressure.

Pick: Rams 27, Seahawks 17.