Earlier this week the 2019 NFL schedule was officially released and the Rams now know their opponents for the entire season. With five prime time games and many more key match-ups, it’s safe to say the Rams are definitely being treated as one of the more entertaining teams to watch.
And why shouldn’t they be? Ever since Sean McVay took over as the head coach the Rams offense has become explosive and been part of some of the most exciting games in the NFL! This year will be no exception.
(twitter.com @RamsNFL)Weeks 1-4: (at Carolina, vs New Orleans, at Cleveland, vs Tampa Bay)
Believe it or not, this could be a sneaky tough opening stretch for the Rams. The week 2 match-up versus New Orleans is a game that every Rams AND Saints fan have been looking forward to all off-season. After a back and forth game with a controversial call late in the 4th quarter (yeah I’ll admit it) the players of the Rams and Saints will be very emotional for this game. Luckily for the Rams, they won’t have to play in the Superdome but instead, the Saints will travel to LA this year.
The week before the Saints the Rams travel to Carolina which should not be overlooked at all. Carolina is a team that has made the playoffs 4 of the past 6 years and had a home record of 34-14 in that time span. With the regular season months away the Rams will need to make sure to focus on Carolina and not look ahead to the week two match-up versus the Saints. Failure to do so could allow Cam Newton and company to give the Rams a much tougher game than many expect. Week 3 will be a fun game when the Rams travel to Cleveland to face the new-look Browns who recently added superstar WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Week 5-8: (at Seattle, vs San Francisco, at Atlanta, vs Cincinnati (London))
The Rams will be faced with two very tough road tests in this four-game stretch. Playing Seattle in Seattle is never easy but this year the game will be on a Thursday night. The “12th man” will be especially loud as they will try and help the Seahawks avenge getting swept by the Rams last year.
The other tough road test for the Rams comes in week 7 when they travel to Atlanta. Atlanta is a team who underachieved greatly last year due to a ton of injuries and they will look to rebound into one of the NFL’s elite teams this season. This is another game the Rams will need to be ready for because when healthy the Falcons are capable of beating anyone.
Week 9-13: (Bye, at Pittsburgh, vs Chicago, vs Baltimore, at Arizona)
Coming off of the bye the Rams will have to go through the gauntlet of Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Baltimore. Despite losing both LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown this off-season, the Steelers are still a team that shouldn’t be taken lightly as they are loaded with talent throughout the roster. Pittsburgh is also one of the toughest places to play and with the game being in November weather could play a major factor. After Pittsburgh, the Rams have back to back prime time games hosting the Bears and the Ravens.
The Bears is a game that will be circled on everyone’s calendar (especially Sean McVay’s) as he and the Rams offense will look to redeem themselves from when they faced the Bears last year. The Bears were the first team ever to hold a Sean McVay offense to zero offensive touchdowns and they did so in dominant fashion. The Bears also caused Jared Goff fits all game last year and made him look like he did in his rookie season rather than the superstar quarterback he has developed into. This game will be a huge redemption game for Goff.
Week 14-17: (vs Seattle, at Dallas, at San Francisco, vs Arizona)
The final month of the NFL regular season could be very easy or difficult for the Rams depending on what happens beforehand. 3 of the Rams final 4 games are against division opponents and after going 6-0 against the NFC West last year, the Rams will look to do much of the same this season. Arizona and San Francisco should both improve but unless something drastic happens the Rams shouldn’t have to worry too much about them.
The toughest game of this month may just come out of the division as the Rams have to travel to Dallas during week 15. Dallas is another very difficult place to play (see the trend here) and should be a team competing for a top seed in the NFC all season. Prior to Dallas, the Rams host the Seahawks for their fifth and final primetime game of the season.
Featured Image: Cameron DaSilva/ The Rams Wire
