By Zakary Haines
LOS ANGELES–The Los Angeles Rams made one of the biggest moves of the off-season. Trading Jared Goff and several draft picks to the Detroit Lions and acquiring veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. This was not a surprise. Stafford did not want to go through another rebuild after another disappointing season in Detroit. Meanwhile, the Rams made another playoff exit only a few years removed from their latest Super Bowl appearance. Now the Rams are under the microscope. It’s an important season for many Rams players, including some of the biggest names of this roster.
Matthew Stafford: Stafford left Detroit as the franchise’s stats leader in just about every category a quarterback can lead in. He even had a 5,000 passing yard season and was only one of eight quarterbacks to accomplish this feat. Regardless, Stafford needs to prove that he is the missing piece to the Rams title-contending hopes. With a new 17 game format, this will not be an easy task. However, Stafford has been known as an “Iron-Man” of the game. He has played with multiple injuries over the years and even managed to throw this game-winning touchdown with an injured shoulder. If the Rams were looking for a quarterback to stay on the field, they have found their man. With a new coach, team, and set of plays, Stafford needs to show the league he is one of the best in the game.
Jalen Ramsey: Ramsey has proven to be one of the top corners in the game. He was even included in the “99 Club” for the latest installment of the “Madden” series. With that in mind, Ramsey still needs to prove himself as the top-tier, lockdown corner he claims to be. Ramsey has issues locking down top wide receivers, which was obvious during their playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. He was not able to stop Aaron Rodgers from connecting with wide receivers like Davante Adams. Ramsey got burned multiple times on deep balls and shallow routes, including this play on the goal line. If Ramsey wants to be considered the best, he has to shut down some big names.
Sean McVay: McVay took over as the Rams head coach in 2017 and has not looked back since. Becoming one of the youngest head coaches in the NFL ever, McVay has accomplished so much. He became NFL Coach of the Year in 2017, reached the playoffs every season except in 2019, and his overall record is 43- 21, going 3-3 in the playoffs. Despite making it to the Super Bowl before, McVay has not recaptured that momentum in the following seasons. What McVay needs to do this season is show that he can take the team on a much meaningful playoff run. With Stafford as his number one quarterback and a number one defense ready to continue their work, McVay should have one of his best seasons yet.
This team has a lot of ambition and hopefulness. However, their schedule is going to require them to hit the ground running. With a schedule difficulty of .515, the Rams need to be in high gear early on. With teams such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week three, Tennessee Titans in Week nine, and playing all of their division rivals before their bye week in week eleven will be a challenge. But it is not impossible. The Rams have made significant improvement on the offensive end and should outperform last year’s 22nd ranking. Overall, this team made the necessary improvements in their weaker areas while maintaining their strengths. Despite the tough schedule, the Rams are looking to be a top team in the NFC for the upcoming season.
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