With kickoff just two days away, the Los Angeles Rams are sitting on something more valuable than hype: real upside. That doesn’t mean anyone should sprint straight to the ceiling and call it a finished product. But this roster has enough talent to make the gap between expectation and reality look pretty small.
The biggest reason? The Rams have a few clear paths to being better than the broad consensus says they should be.
Start up front, where last season’s offensive line quietly did a lot of heavy lifting. The group gave up only 23 sacks in 17 games and helped power the NFL’s seventh-ranked rushing attack.
Somehow, nobody on that line made the Pro Bowl. That unit is back, and with four of the five starters in the final year of their contracts, there’s every reason to think they’ll play with extra edge this season.
Then there’s the defensive line, where the pairing of Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald is the kind of thing that can make opposing offenses miserable. Donald has already been ruled out for Week 1, but the idea of those two sharing a line of scrimmage is enough to keep fans buzzing.
Either one can wreck a game on his own. Together, they have the chance to tilt things completely.
And that’s before you even get to the rest of the front, which includes Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Poona Ford, Branden Fiske, and Josaiah Stewart.
The last major swing factor is the connection between Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams. Adams put up 14 touchdowns and 789 receiving yards in 14 games last season, even though he caught only 52.6 percent of the passes thrown his way. If he gets back to peak form, those numbers could climb a lot higher.
Training camp reports suggested the chemistry is already heading in the right direction, with Stafford healthy and involved. When those two are synced up, Adams is tough to cover and Stafford is tough to stop.
Both know their careers are in the later stages, and that can sharpen every snap. With fewer chances left to make plays, they’re likely to treat each one like it matters more.
Adams wins with deception and separation. Stafford can fit throws into tight windows. Put that together, and the Rams might have something even better than what they showed a year ago.
In Other News...
Rams Opener Just Took A Dramatic Turn Thanks To 49ers Injury Blow
The Rams Week 1 picture got a little clearer, and a lot more complicated, when San Francisco lost defensive tackle Alfred Collins for the season with a torn patellar tendon, as coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed. Collins went down in practice ahead of the opener in Australia, a setback that immediately changes the tone of a matchup already carrying plenty of intrigue between two NFC West rivals.
San Francisco is also dealing with injuries to Sam Okuayinonu, even as veterans George Kittle and Nick Bosa remain on track to suit up. Their availability gives the 49ers some stability, but the uncertainty around how much theyll be used leaves the Rams with a game plan that could look different by the time kickoff arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Just Sent Their Strongest Signal Yet About Melbourne
The Seahawks are leaning harder into their Australia push, announcing a strategic partnership with Collingwood that is designed to connect the two clubs fan bases in Australia and New Zealand. It is part of Seattles marketing rights under the NFL Global Markets program, another sign that the leagues international footprint is becoming more than a branding exercise.
Melbourne is already set to become a key stop in that effort, with the teams planning to co-host a kids AFL and NFL crossover flag football clinic there. For the Rams, it is another reminder that an NFC West rival is trying to build a broader identity far beyond its home market, and the reach of that move could matter well beyond one event or one summer. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Came Much Closer To A Different Pass Rush Splash Than Fans Knew
The Rams offseason pursuit of pass-rush help turned out to be broader than the eventual Myles Garrett deal suggested. Along with landing Garrett, Los Angeles also explored other big-name options, and NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported the team had Maxx Crosby on its radar before finalizing the move that brought Garrett to L.A.
Crosby ultimately stayed put with the Raiders after a proposed trade to the Ravens unraveled because of a failed physical, but the detail adds another layer to how aggressively the Rams chased impact talent up front. For a team always looking to tilt the line of scrimmage, it is a reminder that the splash they made was not the only one they tried to land. [Read more 🡒]