The Los Angeles Rams were a mere 22 yards away from beating the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC divisional round and altering the course of history.
Yet the Rams fell short, entering 2025 as they try to win their second Super Bowl in five years. They’ll need Matthew Stafford to stave off Father Time, with the quarterback having turned 37 years old this offseason.
With coach Sean McVay calling the plays, the offense should be terrific, with Davante Adams joining Puka Nacua on the outside. However, can the defense do its part with questions in the secondary? That’s the seminal question as the Rams embark on a year expecting to contend.
What’s at stake this season: Getting back to the Super Bowl
The Rams have drafted as well as any team over the past few years. That said, Los Angeles is trying to win now with Stafford, who is still one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
Despite his age, Stafford has led the Rams to the playoffs in each of the past two years while throwing for 44 touchdowns against 19 interceptions. He has an elite supporting cast, including a good offensive line, Adams and Nacua on the outside, and running back Kyren Williams in the backfield.
Defensively, the front might end up being an elite unit for years to come. Jared Verse and Braden Fiske played like stars as rookies, combining for 13 sacks and 28 quarterback hits during the regular season. Along with Kobie Turner and Byron Young, the Rams have an exceptional quartet to disrupt opponents.
The big question is whether Los Angeles can hold up on the back end against good passing games when the pressure isn’t constant. If that becomes a non-issue, the Rams are as good as anybody.
Biggest question going into training camp: Who steps up in the secondary?
Los Angeles has stars all over its roster, but there isn’t one in the secondary.
The presumed starting trio of Ahkello Witherspoon, Quentin Lake and Darious Williams is decent, but certainly a group that teams with quality receivers can pick on. It raises the question of whether the Rams try to make a meaningful addition at the end of training camp or the trade deadline.
Perhaps the secondary comes together and quells any fears, but if not, it’s a unit that could prove to be the Rams’ undoing in January.
Sources are saying: Stafford
“I feel like he gets overlooked as one of the better quarterbacks of the decade. He’s as accurate as anyone, he can make all the throws and is as smart as they come.” —an AFC defensive coordinator
Breakout player candidate/X-factor: Tyler Higbee, TE
Higbee tore his ACL in the 2023 wild-card round and only played three games last season. Now 32, he’s slated to be a key contributor for the Rams as their third option in the passing game behind Adams and Nacua.
If Higbee can replicate his ’23 season (72 catches, 620 yards and three touchdowns), it would be a significant boon for a Los Angeles offense that could be one of the league’s best.
Head coach-quarterback ranking: Third
The Rams are back to being Super Bowl favorites after a few seasons as fringe contenders. Stafford is one of the NFL’s top signal-callers despite having only thrown for 3,762 yards and 20 touchdowns across 16 starts in 2024. McVay is one of the best tacticians in the league, having already won a Super Bowl in the 2021 season.
Fantasy pick: Adams should be high-end No. 2
Adams will be the second option in the passing game (which is rare for him) behind Nacua, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be productive. McVay’s offenses have had plenty of targets to go around, which we’ve seen in the past. In 2018, Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods both scored more than 240 fantasy points. Woods and Cooper Kupp both scored more than 230 points in ’19, and Kupp went bananas in ’21 with 439.5 points. That same season, the Rams offense also saw Woods and Van Jefferson combine for more than 300 points. While Adams won’t post elite totals, he should remain a high-end No. 2 fantasy receiver. —Michael Fabiano
Best bet: To miss the playoffs (+132) via FanDuel
We saw some significant regression from Stafford last season as he ranked just 16th amongst quarterbacks in EPA + Completion Percentage Over Expected. The team overperformed as well. Despite winning the NFC West, the Rams finished 19th in the league in Net Yards per Play (-0.2). With Stafford another year older, the 49ers bouncing back, and playing a first-place schedule, I think the Rams missing the playoffs at plus money is a great bet to make.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 32 Teams in 32 Days: Rams Expect to Contend for the Super Bowl.