The Los Angeles Rams’ season may have ended just shy of Super Bowl LX, but it’s hard to look at their journey and not see a team that’s steadily building toward something special.
After a strong start to the year, the Rams hit a rough patch, with losses to the Seahawks, Panthers, and Falcons knocking them out of the NFC West title race. But instead of folding, they fought their way into the postseason and pushed all the way to the NFC Championship Game - where they met a familiar foe in the Seattle Seahawks for a high-stakes rubber match.
The Rams came up just short in that one, falling 31-27 in a game that was tight from start to finish. There were a few key moments that swung the outcome.
A muffed punt by Xaver Smith turned into a quick Seahawks touchdown, and a red zone drive late in the fourth quarter stalled when the Rams needed it most. They were right there, within striking distance, but couldn’t quite find the finishing touch to punch their ticket to Las Vegas.
Still, there’s a lot to be said for how far this team has come - and no one summed that up better than defensive tackle Kobie Turner after the game. “We’ve gotten further and further, and we’re gonna keep coming back,” Turner said.
“We talked about being courageous this week, and that’s what courage is. It’s to take a loss, look it in the face and say, ‘I’m still gonna go back and put in just as much work, if not more.’”
That’s not just talk coming from Turner - it’s backed up by his play and the Rams’ trajectory over the past three seasons. Drafted in the third round out of Wake Forest in 2023, Turner made an immediate impact on the defensive line.
Nine sacks as a rookie - not bad for a rotational guy - earned him a third-place finish in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Since then, he’s become a cornerstone of the Rams’ front, racking up 24 sacks, 27 tackles, and 43 quarterback hits for loss over three seasons.
And his postseason résumé is growing just as fast. In 2023, the Rams made it to the Wild Card Round, losing a heartbreaker to the Lions, 24-23 - and yes, that game came with a side of narrative, as it was against former Rams QB Jared Goff. The next year, they got a little further, knocking off the Vikings in the Wild Card Round before falling to the eventual champion Eagles in the Divisional Round.
This year? Another step forward.
They edged out the Panthers in a 34-31 Wild Card thriller, then survived a gritty overtime battle with the Bears, 20-17, in the Divisional Round. That set up Sunday’s NFC title clash with Seattle - a game that could’ve gone either way.
So when Turner says the team is getting closer, he’s not wrong. The Rams are climbing the ladder, one rung at a time. And with a young core, smart drafting, and a front office that knows how to build around its stars, there’s every reason to believe they’ll be back in the thick of it next season.
There’s also a little extra motivation on the horizon: Super Bowl LXI will be held at SoFi Stadium - the Rams’ home turf. They’ve done it before - winning Super Bowl LVI at home - and you can bet that’s already on the minds of players and coaches as they look ahead.
This season didn’t end the way the Rams wanted, but it didn’t end without progress. They’re not just knocking on the door - they’re learning how to kick it down.