The NFL season is finally upon us. It’s been a long eight months, but we can finally enjoy watching Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, and newly added Matthew Stafford.
And in a first in NFL history, there is an extra week of football. We’ll have another week to cheer on the Rams to victory.
The Rams have an incredible opportunity to be the first team to go 17-0. They’ve put together an incredible team.
LA traded away Jared Goff for Stafford, brought in a new defensive coordinator after Brandon Staley’s departure, and signing Sony Michel after Cam Akers went down with an injury.
The Rams offense is going to be a lot more dynamic. They got a more consistent arm in Stafford who can provide more than Goff could with his legs. He’s going to be rifling deep balls to Kupp, Robert Woods, and a myriad of other receivers.
He’s even got a stacked running back room headlined by Michel and Darrell Henderson. Both backs are great pass catchers and will support the passing game as effectively as they run the ball. This offense is going to run more efficiently and explosive. It’s just what they need to get over the hump and make a deep run in the playoffs.
Defensively there may be a new face at the coordinator position and some missing on the field, but the core stays the same. Donald and Jalen Ramsey will anchor the NFL’s best defense and grow under Raheem Moris’s direction. While the likes of John Johnson, Samson Ebukam, and Troy Hill are gone, a young core fresh off an impressive 2020 campaign and are hungry for more.
Jordan Fuller proved he deserved more playing time throughout 2020 and can handle Johnson’s role. Then Darious Williams was an interception machine. He led the team with four interceptions, just ahead of Fuller with three.
Can they go undefeated this season? Maybe.
The Rams have one of the toughest schedules in the league.
Despite playing the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, and New York Giants, they’ll still play defending Super Bowl champs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Green Bay Packers in a Divisional Round matchup.
While Jacksonville, Houston, Detroit, and New York are easy wins, we said the same thing about the New York Jets last year. We can’t take any game for granted, even with an upgraded QB. However, Tampa Bay managed to keep its roster intact from last year, and the Rams beat them in Tampa Bay. I can’t wait to see how they play in front of a packed crowd in Sofi Stadium.
The Rams are also in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL.
Every team makes a case for winning the division each year. Arizona looks just as good with Kyler Murry under center throwing deep bombs to DeAndre Hopkins and torching defenses with his legs. San Francisco looked poised to build on their Super Bowl appearance in 2019, but injuries derailed them. Now with an upgraded quarterback in Trey Lance and a healthy team, they’re back on track for an outstanding season.
The Seahawks are always favorites to win the division, and they look just as good as last season. Once they got past the Russel Wilson debacle this offseason, they got back to work. They even signed the Rams’ former tight end Gerald Evertt to compliment DK Metcalf and Tyler Locket. Even though Pete Carroll wants to get back to running the ball, Willson will be a deadly force for the Rams secondary to keep in check.
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However, the Rams are a complete package. They boast one of – if not – the best defenses in the league. Winning the division and going undefeated is no small task any season. But it’s Super Bowl or bust this season.
LA has a lot to prove, but it wouldn’t surprise me that they go undefeated. They’re favorites for a Super Bowl appearance, but so are the Packers and Buccaneers.
Those will be the biggest games of the season and only a preview of what’s to come later.
Featured Image: Steven Bisig/USA TODAY Sports
