Where Do Los Angeles Rams Land in Latest NFL Power Rankings?
The Los Angeles Rams may have been idle last week, but there was plenty of NFL action that influenced a new set of power rankings released on Tuesday.
Sports Illustrated put out its latest installment of these rankings on Tuesday morning, and the Rams come in at No. 27 in the league, an understandable location considering their season-long struggles to this point.
"Coming out of the bye, the Rams have another crack at a Seahawks team they were able to stun in the season opener," Sports Illustrated wrote. "Matthew Stafford is back, Carson Wentz is in the building, and the only question left is: will they prove me right, amid a horrible year of me giving gambling advice, that this team was worth betting the win total over? (Over 6.5 wins, come on Rams, you can do it.)"
Those two points are huge for the Rams: Matthew Stafford is expected to return to play against Seattle, and he has a capable backup in Carson Wentz waiting in the wings should he go down again.
Stafford has been sidelined since he suffered a UCL sprain in his throwing thumb against the Dallas Cowboys two weeks ago, and the Rams managed to sign Wentz out of free agency to bolster a lackluster quarterback room that was behind the franchise signalcaller.
So far this season, Stafford has thrown for over 2,000 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. Brett Rypien, who was recently waived by the Rams, played in place of Stafford against the Green Bay Packers, throwing for 130 yards in the 20-3 loss. That performance helped lead to the signing of Wentz out of free agency.
Stafford being healthy can potentially help right the ship in L.A., but with a 3-6 record, the clock is ticking if the Rams hope to reach the postseason.
Can they take down Seattle again? L.A. will get the Seahawks at home on Sunday, and kickoff is slated for 1:25 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on CBS.