32 NFL Teams in 32 Days: Rams Are Contenders With a Few Key Questions

Los Angeles is relying on young defensive players and an aging quarterback, but Sean McVay’s team has plenty of talent.

Can McVay and Stafford take the Rams back to the Super Bowl? / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to 32 teams in 32 days. To get us through the offseason, we’ll be taking a closer look at every team in the NFL, in order of projected 2024 win totals. Up next: the Rams.

The Los Angeles Rams are a threat to make the Super Bowl, but the team faces significant questions.

Offensively, this is one of the most talented groups in football. Matthew Stafford remains one of the league’s best quarterbacks, and he’s flanked by running back Kyren Williams, tight end Tyler Higbee and a pair of star receivers in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. 

However, there are concerns defensively with the retirement of future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. Then there’s a questionable back seven, and a front relying heavily on rookies Braden Fiske and Jared Verse to be immediate contributors.

Can the Rams make it happen and inject youth without taking a step backward? That might be the story of their season.

Biggest gamble this offseason: Not getting a true upgrade in the secondary

Some Rams fans may quibble with this, but it’s tough to argue Los Angeles should feel secure in its back end.

Last season, the Rams were consistently trying to compensate for a group that was lackluster, something which showed up in the wild-card round against the Detroit Lions. In the offseason, general manager Les Snead signed former Rams corner Darious Williams, who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also added the oft-injured Tre’Davious White, who over the past two years has sustained a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles tendon.

For Los Angeles, there’s a chance White comes back strong, Williams is a solid second corner and the secondary is good. There’s also a real possibility White can’t get right, Williams declines and the pass coverage is a mess.

Toughest stretch of the season: Weeks 12 to 16

The late-season stretch for the Rams is a challenging one, and it begins with the Philadelphia Eagles coming to SoFi Stadium in Week 12.

From there, Los Angeles travels to New Orleans for a date with the Saints in the raucous Superdome, before drawing the Buffalo Bills at home in the late Sunday window. 

In Week 15, the Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium before traveling cross-country to face Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets.

Breakout player to watch: C Steve Avila

In an effort to fix a woeful offensive line coming out of the 2022 season, the Rams selected Avila with the 36th pick in ’23. The result was immediate and excellent. 

As a starting guard last year opposite Kevin Dotson, Avila became one of the league’s best rookies, starting all 17 games for Sean McVay’s club. However, with the signing of Jonah Jackson this winter, Avila is now slated to move over into the pivot.

Only 24 years old, Avila has a chance to be one of the NFL’s top centers for a long time, along with the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey and Lions’ Frank Ragnow. Don’t be surprised if that ascension starts this year.

Best-case scenario: A Super Bowl run awaits

The NFC isn’t a great conference, and there are legitimate questions about all the contenders. Can the Eagles figure out what went wrong last year? Are the Lions going to be mentally tougher after their collapse in the conference title game? Are the Niners starting to age in spots? So on, so forth.

While Los Angeles has its own aforementioned concerns, it’s a team led by a terrific coach-quarterback combination in McVay and Stafford. The weaponry is there and the defense, while suspect in some regards, has talent. 

If the Rams get a full year from Stafford and some instant impact from their rookie class, Los Angeles has reason to believe it could make a deep run in January.

Worst-case scenario: The defense slumps, Stafford can’t play 17 games

Stafford is one of the most electric talents in the game. He’s also 36 years old and has played only 24 games the past two seasons.

It would not be a stretch to see Stafford out for at least a few games in 2024, which would mean playing time for backup quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo or Stetson Bennett. 

Meanwhile, the defense has to figure out a game plan to rally without Donald in the middle. Furthermore, Fiske and Verse will play plenty early on. The Rams can’t afford for either to be a bust or a late bloomer.

Should these two areas go wrong for the Rams, they could miss the postseason and have an eye on the future under center.

Head coach-quarterback tandem ranking

No. 3: McVay (4) and Stafford (7)

At his age, Stafford is bound to start regressing, but he remained productive last year with 3,965 yards and 24 touchdowns in 15 games. As for McVay, he has won a Super Bowl and been to a pair before age 39. He remains one of the NFL’s best and brightest, leading an offense loaded with talent at every position.

Fantasy pick: RB Kyren Williams

Williams came out of nowhere to produce a breakout 2023 campaign, scoring 15 touchdowns in just 12 games and ranking seventh in PPR points among runners. That’s great, but can he do it again? Well, his touch to touchdown ratio will be difficult to replicate … he scored once for every 14.1 touches. That was better than Christian McCaffrey! Williams is also not the most durable running back in the league, having missed five games last year. He’s also dealing with a foot problem that kept him out of action in OTAs. The Rams also drafted Michigan’s Blake Corum, which makes Williams even more of a risk. —Michael Fabiano

Best bet: Matt Stafford over 22.5 touchdowns (-110) at DraftKings

Stafford tossed 24 touchdowns in 2023, and he’s exceeded this prop in three of the past four seasons,  missing it only in ’22 when he only played nine games. If Stafford remains healthy, there’s no reason he won’t exceed this mark. He certainly has the weapons. —Jennifer Piacenti

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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