Are Rams Being 'Overlooked' in NFC Playoff Picture?
The Los Angeles Rams are two seasons removed from winning a Super Bowl, but you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone predicting that they'll win the NFC West in 2023 as they look to rebound from a disappointing 5-12 campaign a year ago.
But according to The Athletic, the Rams could be one of the teams that is being "overlooked" heading into this season:
"Rival talent evaluators are divided on the Rams’ potential, but their three most important stars — Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald — remain the centerpieces."
With Sean McVay back for a seventh season as head coach for the Rams, it's not hard to envision the team having a competitive offense, should both Stafford and Kupp stay healthy.
Running back Cam Akers had a strong finish to the 2022 season, and Los Angeles bolstered their offensive line by adding guard Steve Avila in the second round. This is still a team that needs a second receiver to emerge, whether that's Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek, rookie Puka Nacua or some combination, but you can at least envision a scenario where they are a top-half-of-the-league offense.
Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris may have a more insurmountable task ahead of him. While future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald is back on the defensive line, Pro Football Focus recently ranked both the secondary and linebacking corps for the Rams as the worst in the league.
The feeling here is that while there is certainly a path to the Rams being better in 2023, being more than a fringe playoff contender with their defensive limitations is going to be an uphill battle. So to call them "overlooked" might be a bit of a stretch.
Then again, the division-rival Seattle Seahawks looked to have a bottom-five roster after trading Russell Wilson entering the 2022 season. Between a great draft class and the emergence of quarterback Geno Smith, they ended up sneaking into the playoffs with nine wins. Maybe a similar situation will unfold with the Rams this year in terms of drastically outperforming expectations.
You can follow Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rams? Click Here
Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Ram Digest message board community today!
Follow Ram Digest on Twitter and Facebook
Want even more L.A. Rams news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
