The reigning Super Bowl champs will be coming into the new NFL season on cloud nine and with a weak NFC on paper, why can’t they repeat?
Strength
Big statement coming here considering they won a Super Bowl, but the Rams were good in a lot of areas last year!
But I think their biggest strength is their ability to pressure and sack the opposition quarterback. Last season, the Rams had 50 sacks, which was the third highest in the NFL, losing opposition teams a massive 367 total yards.
Without Von Miller and Sebastian Joseph-Day they will need to find other avenues, but they have arguably the greatest defensive player of all time in Aaron Donald, they will be fine.
Weakness
It is hard to find a weakness in a team that has just won a Super Bowl, so let’s look at off the field and the Rams’ second round draft strategy last season.
They took Tutu Atwell out of Louisville, a 5’9 wide receiver who didn’t catch a pass in his rookie season. His total contribution to the Rams was 10 returned punts and five returned kick-offs. So, while their play on the field was great, they could improve in the draft room!
Player to watch
Cam Akers was primed for a breakout season after two massive playoff performances in his rookie year, averaging 110.5 yards per game and scoring two touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Florida State product, he tore his Achilles during training camp and missed majority of the season.
Despite bravely returning to play playoff football in the Super Bowl run, he looked a shell of his rookie self. Can Akers return to the explosive form he has shown and finally have that breakout?
Who’s under pressure?
Allen Robinson II was widely considered one of the more consistent wide receivers in the NFL going into 2021, before disastrously underperforming in Chicago with rookie quarterback Justin Fields.
His 38 catches, 410 yards and one touchdown were all career lows if you ignore his injury-ruined 2017 where his season ended during Week 1. Considering the role Odell Beckham played for the Rams down the stretch, pressure is on Robinson to rebound and get back to the quality of football he has shown across his career.
Projection
Despite losing some players over the course of the off-season, it is extremely difficult to project regression for this Rams team. History has shown, reigning Super Bowl champion teams start the next season on fire and I expect the same for LA.
Stafford to Kupp looked unstoppable at times and we know that they have the star’s on defence with Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald and now Bobby Wagner across from Seattle, this will be an NFC title favourite.
Win/loss: 13-4.
Talezassian
Roar Rookie
For mine, the Rams' biggest vulnerability is their lack of depth: their approach means they sign up very good players, but don't have the draft capital to pick up good players on rookie deals, and therefore have more average players in their starting line up than other teams. That's okay if your stars remain healthy like they did for much of last yerar, but it's bigger trouble than normal if they don't.
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
The one area which I think the Rams have weakened is the O-line with Whitworth retiring and Corbett signing with the Panthers. But then they replaced Whitworth OK last season when he was injured (the Rams were 5-1 without him). And if Cam Akers can at least make opposing defences think something other than Stafford to pass on every play the Rams will go a long way again this season.